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Pages  whoil.  ■  >  ■  ani-lly  obscured  by  errata  slips, 
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partiellement  obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une 
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obtenir  la  meHleura  image  possible. 

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possible. 


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This  Kam  is  (ilmtd  at  the  reduction  ratio  chacltad  twiow  / 

Ca  doeunwnt  ast  fttm*  au  taux  da  rMiietion  iitdiqu*  ei^laaaous. 

lOx  14x  18x  22x  26x  30x  

I  I  I        I  Mi^i  I  I  I  I  I  r~ 

12x  16x  20x  24x  28x  32x 


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L'txemplaira  film*  fut  raproduit  grica  i  la 
gAnArositi  da: 


National  Library  of  Canada 


BIbllothSqiM  nationals  du  Canada 


Tha  images  appearing  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  tha 
filming  contract  specif icationa. 


Original  copiaa  in  printed  paper  covara  ara  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  iilustroted  impraa* 
sion.  or  the  back  cover  when  epproprlate.  All 
other  original  copiaa  are  filmed  iieginning  on  tha 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impraa* 
aion.  and  ending  on  tha  laat  page  with  a  printed 
or  iiluatratad  impraaaion. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  eech  microfiche 
shell  contain  the  symbol  — ^  (meening  "CON- 
TINUED  'I.  or  the  symbol  Y  (meaning  "END"), 
whiehavar  appliaa. 

ISAaps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  mey  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  ara  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  comer,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Las  images  suivantas  ont  iti  reproduites  avec  !e 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
da  la  nettst*  de  I'exemplaire  film*,  at  en 
conformity  avec  lea  conditiona  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 

Lee  exempleirea  originaux  dont  la  couverture  an 
papier  eat  ImprimAe  aont  filmte  an  commencant 
par  la  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  aalon  la  caa.  Toua  lea  autres  exempleirea 
originaux  sont  filmte  en  commencant  par  le 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniira  page  qui  comporte  una  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  dea  symbolaa  suivanta  apparaitra  sur  la 
darniire  image  da  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
caa:  la  aymboia       signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ".  le 
aymbole  ▼  aignifia  'FIN". 

Las  cartes,  planches,  tablaeux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diff^rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  etre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  filmi  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supArie.ir  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite. 
et  de  haut  an  bas.  an  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n^cessaire.  Lea  diagrammea  suivants 
illustrent  la  m^thoda. 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

MldOCOrY  RESOLUTION  TEST  CHART 

(ANSI  ond  1*^0  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


J    APPUEO  IM/^GE  I 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


The 

Diary  of  Delia 

BcinR  a  Veracious  Chr^f  at  o»  the  Kitchen 
w.th  Home  butt  Ugh**        the  Parlour 

ONOTO  WAI  \NNA 

Autktr  af  *'A  Jiipanitt  t-  ■  !  ..r.galt itt. 

Iliu!»tfatri!  hv  , 
May  Wilson  Preston 


Douh!e.i4),  P:i^t  ^ji.  Companv 
1907 


The 

Diary  of  Delia 

Beinc  a  Veradoui  Chroniclt  of  the  Kitchen 
with  Some  Side-lights  en  the  Parlour 

By 

ONOTO  WATANN.' 

•/      Jafamtte  NightingaU,"tU. 

Illustrated  by  ^ 
Majr  Wtbon  Preston 


New  York 
Doubleday,  Page  &  Company 
1907 


1 


Copyright,  1906,  by 
TM  CuRTu  PoBumiNG  Company 

Copyright,  1906, 1907,  by 

DOUBLBDAY,  PaGB  &  COMPANY 

PuBLimiD,  May,  1907 


ALL  UOBTS  WiSBKVBO  XNCLODINO  THAT  OF  TRANSLATIOM 
INTO  VOUIION  LAMOUAOBt,  INCLUOtMO  TUU  SCANDINATIAM 


«(  < 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

•Dyingl'seal"  .  FronHspuce 

FACtNO  PAOB 

Now  remimber'  sea  Minnie,  'no  gineral 
housework  tor  you '  **  .  .99 

Very  well  Delia '  ses  she.    '  It's  hard  on 

me  ...  so  much  trouble ' "       .  .86 

'*  I  tttk  a  bit  of  paper  from  Mr.  John's  dealc, 
and  I  penned  the  following  warning  in 
phuic  littera  and  langwidge "       .      .  4% 

**  *  Mr.  John  *  I  exclaimed  involuntarararily, 
'  are  you  aun  atmek.  Wfaat'a  the  trubble' 
"•I"  58 

"  Mr.  Wolley  cum  crorling  frum  tmdemeath  th» 

ortermobile "  H4 

"  *  Go  away  John!  Go  away! '  aea  ahe, '  you 

shan't  open  the  dure  "*  .184 

"  *  But  suppose  *  ses  b^,  leening  a  bit  neaitr, 

'  that  the  litter  was  not  for  you '  "  .146 


THE  DIARY  OF  D£LIA 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


CHAPTER  I 

T  GOT  up  at  seven.  Washed.  Dressed. 

Made  iae  bed.  I  set  the  Kittle  on 
the  gas  stove  and  then  furyissly  rung  the 
brekfast  bell.  The  famly  begun  to  get  up 
about  9.  Mr.  John  was  the  iirst  to  ate. 
He  guv  a  look  sideways  at  the  appytising 
^ggs  befiure  him  ^d  the  luvlystaming 
coffee  and  thin  wid  a  shuv  pooshed  thim 
aside.  He  tuk  up  his  paper  and  begun 
to  reed  ignoaring  me  and  the  brekfust  as 
if  we  wus  durt.  Me  mouth  being  open  I 
spoke  up. 

"Won't  you  be  after  ating  this  mor 
ing"  says  I. 

"  Its  all  rite"  says  he.  "Its  all  rite  Delia 
I  Ungered  hoping  to  help  him  a  bit. 

8 


4 


THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA 


He  russelled  up  the  paper  the  way  he 
has  of  doing  when  provoaked  and  says 
in  that  cam  and  gintle  way  he  talks  when 
tunibly  excited: 

"Delia — ^what  are  you  waiting  for?" 

"Nothing — ^says  I — but  won't  you  be 
ating  a  bite  Mr.  Johnny." 

He  controlled  himsilf  wid  diffyculty 
his  voyce  all  the  canuner  for  his  inwurd 
anger. 

Now  me  girl  says  he — you  attind  to 
your  own  ating.    Never  mind  me. 

I  shugged  me  sholders  in  the  dis- 
dainful way  I  have  and  walked  kitchen- 
wurd.  I'd  jest  reeched  the  swinging 
door  when  "Delia!"  ses  he,  calling  very 
perlitely  now. 

"Well  sir?" 

"Will  you  kindly  bring  me"  ses  he 
"a  cup  of  hot  water." 
"Hot  water  is  it?" 
"Yep.   I'm  dying  DeUa"  ses  he. 


THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA  5 

''Dying!" ses  I,  shocked  so  that  I  drap- 
ped  and  broke  the  china  in  me  hands. 

"Confound  you!"  ses  he,  starting  up 
in  his  seet  "Dy-et-ing  I  said." 

"Its  the  same  thing"  I  showted  back 
at  him,  and  I  marched  out  in  a  huff. 

By  and  by  I  heard  Miss  Claire  go  in- 
to the  dining-room  and  I  let  her  ring 
the  table  bell  awile  befure  ansering. 
Her  payshunce  gitting  the  better  of  her 
sense  she  pokes  her  hed  into  me  kitchen. 
Now  I  happened  to  be  standing  neerby 
the  dure,  wayti?ig  for  further  ivints. 
WeU,  as  I  sed,  out  popped  Miss  Claire's 
hed  throo  the  dure  which  banged  against 
me  own,  while  me  frying-pan  wint  fly- 
ing up  on  hers. 
"Ol   OI   O!"  crys  she. 
Her  mother  come  running  down  the 
passage  in  her  nitegown  her  hair  scrooed 
up  in  them  kid  curlers. 
"What  is  the  matter?"  ciys  she.  Thin 


6 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


she  seen  the  cundition  of  her  dorter. 
The  eggs  had  landed  on  her  hed,  and 
the  fat  run  down  her  face  in  streams 
wid  the  yokes  for  company.  The  mother 
guv  me  a  shove,  and  at  that  I  boorst  out 
in  me  rarth. 

"Its  no  lady  you  are"  ses  I.  "The 
whole  boonch  of  you  is  bad.  Gitting 
up  at  these  unairthly  ours  and  bullying 
the  life  out  of  a  poor  loan  hard  work- 
ing  girl." 

Wid  that  I  tuk  aff  me  aprun  and 
throwed  it  at  the  madams  feet. 

"Will  you  be  good  enuff"  ses  I  "to 
pay  me  me  wages,  for  I'm  for  going." 

Delia"  ses  she  in  the  voyce  she 
spakes  whin  drissed  up  fine  for  the 
opery  or  there's  company  for  dinner. 
"Delia"  ses  she,  "Your  month  is  up 
on  the  24th.  You  will  get  nothing  till 
then." 

"Indade"  ses  I.  "Then  I'll  set  here  till 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  7 

the  24th,  but  divil  a  bit  of  work  will  I  be 
doing/'  and  wid  that  I  set  down  on  me 
chare  and  faulded  me  arms  firmly  across 
me  brist. 

"Delia"  ses  the  lady,  "Mr.  WoUey 
will  want  his  chop  in  a  minit.  Master 
Willie  will  have  fareena  and  a  poched 
Shedded  weet  biskits  for  Miss 
Claire  " 

"Mummer"  ses  she,  washing  her  hed 
over  me  tubs,  "I  want  nothing— nothing." 

Just  then  Mr.  James  wint  into  the 
dyning-roon  and  rung  the  bell  lowdly. 

"Peeches  and  pancakes*'  ses  Mrs. 
Wolley  coldly. 

Miss  Claire  has  her  hed  washed  be 
this  time,  and  she  stands  oop,  wid  it 
rolled  oop  in  a  towl.  She  guv  me  wan 
look— a  cross  betwane  a  shmile  and  a 
frown,  and  ses  she: 

"Delia,  do  you  wish  me  to  get  brek- 
fust  to-day?" 


8 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


"God  forbid,  Miss"  ses  I,  and  wint 
to  wark. 

Miss  Claire  is  horty  agin,  and  she  sea 
wid  a  cold  look  at  me: 

"Very  weU  thin  Delia,  tiU  the  24th 
then.   Come  mother." 


CHAPTER  n 


NEXT  DAT 

TTS  a  weery  world.  Here  I  be,  a  poor 
loansome  female  alone  in  this  crooi 
dty  warking  for  foaks  wid  lether  harts. 

"O  wirra,  wirra,  wirra"  as  me  auld 
mother  used  to  say. 

Aroze.    Dressed.  Washed. 

I  wint  to  see  me  frina  Minnie  Car- 
navan  last  nite  and  feel  better  the  day. 
Ses  she: 

"Its  a  fool  you  be  I>elia  O'Mally. 
The  Idear  of  you  doing  all  the  wark  in 
a  family  of  6.  Its  no  more  sinse  you 
seem  to  have  than  an  eediot.  Delia  ses 
she,  its  the  giirls  thats  been  here  long 
thats  foolish  like  yursilf .  They  get  stock 
wid  wan  famly  who  hangs  on  to  thim 
for  deer  life.   The  new  wans — green 

9 


10       THE   DIARY  OF  DELIA 

from  the  aulH  cuntry  arent  hiring  out 
to  do  gineral  housewark.  Its  cooking 
in  a  family  of  1  or  2  theyre  looking 
for  and  getting.  Its  lite  chamberw&rk 
or  waiting  on  a  table  or  the  like.  Theret 
never  a  one  so  green  as  to  hire  out  to 
do  the  hole  wark  of  a  family.  Y'^ 
auld  fashuned  and  saft'*  ses  she,  **Go 
down  to  Mack's  on  3rd  Ave.  Git  a 
job  for  a  munth  or  so  as  capper." 

"And  what  is  that?" 

"Well  you  tak  a  job"  ses  Minnie, 
"but  you  dont  kape  it." 

"And  what  wud  be  the  sinse  of  tak- 
ing it  for  thin?" 

"Why  you  gump  for  ivery  place  you 
tak  Mack  gits  a  fee  of  $3.  You  get 
harf  for  fooling  thim." 

"Its  an  onest  gurl  I  am"  ses  I  wid 
scoin,  "and  its  ashamed  I'd  be  to  mix 
mesilf  in  any  such  mess  as  that." 

"Well  then"  ses  she  "go  down  to  the 


THB  DIABY  OP  DELIA  11 


Alluyance.  Its  a  place  where  they  get 
jobf  for  the  rkh." 

"And  what  wud  I  be  doing  Iherp?" 
"Dont  you  mind  what  I'm  after  meen- 
ing?    Its  the  rich  ladies  who  pathronize 
them.    Its  a  foine  thing  indade  for  thim. 
The  Alluyunce  filhi  oop  there  houaes 
wid  the  sarvants.   If  a  lady  walks  in 
modestly  asking  swately  for  a  gurl  for 
gineral  housewark,  they  taks  the  fee 
of  two  or  three  or  maybe  five  dollars, 
and  thin  smilingly  inf arm  her  that  gineral 
housewarkers  are  an  oonown  qnolify. 
"Tak  a  cook"  ses  Miss  Flimflam, 
seeted  at  a  desk.   *  Put"  ses  the  lady, 
luking  very  thrubbled,  "a  cook  wont  do 
anny  other  work  at  all." 

"Sumtimes  they  do  lite  londiy  wark" 
ses  Miss  Flimflam,  yoning  perlitely  in 
her  hand. 

"Wai  they  clean?" 

"Land  no!" 


12       THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA 

"Wate  on  table 
"Certainly  not." 

"  Thin"  ses  the  lady  in  disthress, "  What 
am  I  to  do?  I  moost  have  me  wark 
dun." 

"Why"  ses  the  clerk,  a  little  more 
awake,  "hire  other  girls,  as  the  rist  of 
our  pathrons  do." 

"Oh"  ses  the  lady.  "I  suppose" 
ses  she  after  a  moment  of  deep  and 
thrubbled  thort,  "if  I  get  an  exthra 
woman  in  to  clean  and  wate  on  table 
the  cook  will  wark  cheeper?" 

"Hm?"  ses  the  lady  at  the  disk. 
"I  big  yure  pardin?" 

"She'd  wark  cheeper,  I  sed?" 

"Well  to  be  frank,  Mrs.  Hodge  Podge" 
answers  Miss  Flimflam  at  the  desk, 
"a  cooks  an  expinsive  proppysition  in 
these  days.  Now  we  have  thim  all 
the  way  down  from  $200  a  munth  to 
—cr — ^well,  you  mite  git  an  inexperienced 


THE  DIARY  OP  DELIA  IS 

beginnir  for  about  $30,  tho  I  cant 
promise." 

"Your  fooling  Minnie.  Shure  no  cook 
gits  such  a  forchune"  ses  I. 

"Its  thruth  I*m  telling  you.  Why 
I  heard  the  uther  day  that  Mrs.  Van- 
derfool  do  be  paying  her  cook  $20,000 
a  year,  and  whats  more  the  papers  state 
theres  an  agytation  now  on  foot  among 
the  bizzy  club  wimmin  to  let  the  poor 
hard  warking  girls,  whose  been  impoased 
upon  for  sinturies,  yuse  the  parlor 
wance  a  week  to  see  there  company  in.** 

"You  dont  say**  ses  I,  "and  to  think 
of  me  drudging  for  the  starving  wage 
of  $20  per  month.'* 

"WeU**  ses  Minnie,  "I  wont  mis- 
guide you  Delia.  $20  is  the  wages  of 
a  green  girl  who  niver  saw  a  Frinch 
pertater  fryed  on  airth  and  who  broils 
a  stake  in  a  sorspan  cuvered  snug  wid 
water. 


CHAPTER  in 


THE  TWENTT-FOUBTH 

T  AROZE  at  the  uslul  our.  Washed. 

Dressed  in  me  best.  Miss  Claire 
cum  into  me  room  brite  and  airly.  Ses 
she:  "O  Delia,  heres  that  auld  green 
skurt  of  mine  you  always  liked.  Your 
welcame  to  it.** 

"Thanks**  ses  I,  "but  I  expect  to  be 
making  sooch  grand  wages  socm.  Miss 
Claire,  1*11  be  bying  finer  skurts  than 
that."  Wid  that  I  pushed  the  skurt 
aside  with  contemshus  tooch. 

She  got  all  red  and  pretty,  as  she 
has  a  habit  whin  angry,  and  she  pat 
up  her  hed  hy  in  ^e  air. 

"O  well,  if  that's  the  way  you  feel!** 
ses  she  and  marched  out. 

Mr.  John  cum  into  me  kitchen. 

u 


16 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


"Delia**  ses  he  "heres  a  quarter. 
Now  hussle  wid  me  brekfust,  will 
your 

I  took  the  quarter  and  flipped  it 
round. 

"Mr.  Johnny"  ses  I,  "me  munth 
is  cop  at  7  A.  M.  this  marning.  I*m 
after  waiting  for  me  wages.*' 

He  drew  up  his  brows  frowning  and 
wint  aff  into  his  mothers  room. 

A  moment  later  the  auld  gintleman 
himsilf  cum  bloostering  out.  Its  his 
ushil  custom  to  get  up  at  10. 

"  Whats  up !    Whats  up !  **  ses  he. 

"  Wheres  me  chop  ?  Wheres  me  chop  ?" 

Master  Will  started  in  to  baU  and 
Mr.  James  kept  ringing  the  table  bell. 
Such  a  house  I  never  seen.  Out  came 
the  madame  in  her  ushil  nitegown. 

"Delia**  ses  she  "didn't  I  tell  you 
yesterday  I'd  decided  to  guv  you  anuther 
chance." 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  17 


"You  did  mam,  but  Tm  for  going 
now"  ses  I. 

"Go  about  your  wark"  ses  she,  her 
proud  Yoice  becoming  a  bit  narvous  in 
toan. 

"I*m  waiting  for  me  wages  mam" 
ses  I. 

"Delia  "  she  guv  a  hasty  look 

about  her,  thin  she  spakes  in  a  coaxing 
vyce: 

"Now  Delia,  be  sinsible.  You  no 
we  think  warlds  of  you.    Now  " 

Joost  then.  Miss  Claire  looks  in,  her 
face  still  red  wid  the  snub  I'm  after 
giving  her  about  the  skurt. 

"Muther**  ses  she,  "dont  descind  to 
*>egging  I^elia  to  remane.  Let  her  go. 
We  can  get  on  famissly  widout  her." 

"What!"  shourts  Mr.  James,  stick- 
ing in  his  hed  at  the  dure,  "No  cook! 
Whats  to  becum  <rf  us.  Are  we"  ses 
he  "to  go  throo  a  like  nitemare  such 


18 


THE  DIARY  OP  DELIA 


as  we  injured  befure  the   advent  of 

Delia?" 

Willie  now  cum  poking  his  hed  in 
between  his  daddy's  legs. 

"Pieese  Delia"  ses  he  "guv  me  my 
fareena.   I  love  you,  Delia"  ses  he. 

"Grod  love  the  lamb!"  ses  I  and 
flew  to  the  stove,  me  hart  going  out  of 
me  body  to  the  child. 

"Hold!"  ses  Miss  Claire,  very  loftily, 
and  she  cum  over  to  me  and  tuk  the 
dubble  boyler  out  of  me  hand.  "Put 
on  yure  things"  ses  she  "and  go.  At 
once"  ses  she  "at  once!" 

Then  she  turned  to  her  brothers  and 
parents. 

"Go  back  to  the  dining-room"  ses 
she  "/'/I  get  brekfust  to-day." 

Mr.  James  guv  a  dredful  g  c -^n,  ."r  rj 
sloonk  off  to  the  dining  room,  wid  iiis 
hands  on  his  stummick. 

"Mamma"  ses  Miss  Claire,  "pay  off 


THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA  10 


Delia.  Youve  been  composed  upon  long 
cnuff"  aes  she.  "Hereafter  FU  manaire 
things."  ^ 

And  me,  the  last  of  1,700  girls  in  the 
same  place—for  so  I  larned  from  me 
frind  the  janitor's  wife— walked  out  wid 
me  HSO  in  me  pocket. 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE  FOLLOWING  DAT  AT  MINNIE  CAB- 


ROZE  at  8:30.  Washed— all  over. 


Dressed  in  me  best.  Borrowed 
Minnie's  hat  wid  the  grand  white  ostrich 
fether.  Minnie  wint  along  wid  me  to 
the  AUuyunce.  "For"  ses  she  "its  safl 
you  are,  mavomeen." 

After  paying  our  fee  of  $1  we  set 
around  thegither  wid  mebbe  40  uther 
unforchnut  girls  in  a  room  on  the  sicond 
flure.  "Now  remimber"  ses  Minnie, 
"no  giner  housewark  for  you.  Its 
a  grand  tok  you  be,  or  a  f oine  first- 
class  waitress,  or  an  illigunt  chamber- 
made,  or  a  nurse  to  a  babby  oonder- 
standing  all  about  bottle  feeding.  Now 
ray-mimber  what  you  are.*' 


navan's  house 


tl 


ft       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

"I  b^in  to  have  mis  doubts,  Minnie'* 
ses  I,  trimbling  inwardly. 

**Ah  go  wangles  Minnie,  wid  oontimp, 
and  just  thin  wan  of  the  Miss  Flimflams 
(for  so  Minnie  had  them  all  named),  cum 
into  the  room  and  ses  in  a  loud  voyce: 

"A  nurse!  I've  a  call  here  for  a 
nurse.  Must  be  first-class.  Consumtiye. 
Wages  $10  a  week." 

'*Tak  it!*'  wispers  Minnie,  excitedly 
and  she  pushed  me  along. 

"Are  you  a  nurse?"  arsks  Miss  Flim- 
flam, looking  at  me  misdoubtfuUy. 

"Well  mam"  ses  I  "Its  manny  it 
yung  wan  " 

"O  deer!"  ses  she  impayshuntly,  "a 
trayned  nurse  is  what  I  want.  Are 
there  any  trayned  nurses  here?" 

There  wint  a  little  pockmarked  womaa 
forward. 

"What  have  you  dun?"  arsks  Miss 
Flimflam. 


9 

2. 

I 

« 


6 
*& 

0 
C 


r 


w 


6 

i 

o 
Z 


THE  DIARY  OF  DBLIA 


"Well  deerie"  ses  the  pockmarked 
lady»  "Ive  tinded  to  inyaleeds  nnce  I 
was  so  higk  deerie.  Me  speskiil^ 
obstetery." 

"Obstetery?  Whats  that?"  arsks  Miss 
Flimflam  opening  oop  her  eyes  wide. 

"Why  r  m  a  midwifct  to  spake  vool- 
gariy  deerie*'  ses  the  pockmarked  wan. 

"Oh"  ses  Miss  flimflam,  and  wint 
out  larfing. 

Shed  been  gone  but  a  minit  whin  a 
stout  miss  Flimflam  cums  in  in  t.  hurry. 
She  reeds  frum  a  paper  in  her  hand: 

"2  lady's  maids,  booUer,  S  chamber- 
mades— cook — in  lack  all  nicessaiy  sar- 
▼ants  for  a  big  coontry  place.  Now 
first  of  all — a  thoruly  first-class  cook — 
er  

Minnie  had  pushed  me  forward  and 
I  wint  up  bashfully  bef  ure  her. 

"Cum  along"  ses  she,  and  she  tuk 
me  down  stares  into  a  grate  long  room, 


24       THE   DIARY   OF  DELIA 

wid  about  twinty  or  thirty  ladies  sitting 
in  grand  drisses  on  sofies.  She  leeds 
me  up  to  a  stout  old-yung  lady  sitting 
forward  on  the  idge  of  wan  of  the  sofies. 
"This"  ses  Miss  Flimflam  in  the  swatest 
voyce,  "is  Mrs.  Regal.  Tell  her  all 
about  yersilf  Delia." 

The  lady  sits  a  bit  further  forward 
and  lifts  up  wan  of  thim  spicticles  on 
top  of  a  reel  gold  shtick  called  in  Frinch 
Lorgons. 

"How  old  are  you?"  ses  she. 

"Twinty"  ses  I. 

"  five"  puts  in  Minnie  quickly, 

for  she'd  cum  down  wid  me. 

"Ah  25.  How  minny  yeers  have  you 
cooked  ?" 

"Well  mam-—"  I  began,  whin  Minnie 
put  in — ^"'Tin  yeers." 

"What  wages  did  you  get  at  your 
last  place?" 

"Twinty  "  I  began. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


25 


"Twinty  a  week**  ses  Minnie  boldly. 
The   lady   looked   tarribly  startled. 

**Koo  dM  you  wark  for?  Lit  me  see 
your  riffdnces'*  ses  she. 

Aiiiii  ie  hands  her  the  boonch  of  papers 
shes  after  bringing  along  for  me,  and 
the  lady  looks  at  them  throo  her  lorgon. 
Me  own  riference  from  Mrs.  Wolley, 
which  Miss  Clare  handed  me  proudly 
as  I  was  slipping  out,  I  also  had  handed 
to  the  lady,  and  I'm  all  oopset  and  red 
wid  anger  at  the  pinch  on  me  arm 
Minnie  is  after  giving  me.  The  lady 
looks  up  wid  her  eyes  frowning. 

"Why  these  riferinces  are  for  2  dif- 
ferunt  girls"  ses  she. 

"Luk  at  that,  wud  yer?"  ses  Minnie, 
playfulK  "Now  didnt  she  after  be  giv- 
ing you  my  riferences  too  by  mishtake? 
This  is  mine**  ses  she,  and  tuk  the  letter 
fnim  Mrs.  WoIIey  frum  the  lady's  hand. 
"Hoom."   Ses  the  lady,  and  looks 


26       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

me  over  frum  hed  to  foot  throo  her 
lorgon. 

"Whats  your  name?*'  ses  she,  vnd 
refers  to  the  letters. 

"Delia"  ses  I  inncrcently,  "Miss  Delia 
O'Malley  if  you  plaze  mam.'* 

She  set  up  stiflP.  Then  she  got  up 
and  putrified  me  wid  a  horty  stare. 
Then  she  swipt  over  to  Miss  Flimflam, 
her  silk  pitticoat  swishing  behind  her 
wid  anger.  Miss  Flimflam  cum  over 
to  me  and  grabbed  me  by  the  arm. 
She  pushed  me  tord  the  stair. 

"Minnie"  ses  I  upstares,  "its  seeries 
throuble  youve  got  me  into  now." 

"Shaw!"  ses  Minnie,  "Its  dun  ivery 
day.  They  no  it.  Delia  theres  twinty 
ladies  for  ivery  wan  girl.  Your  safe 
from  anny  blacklist  darlint." 

We  seen  Miss  Flimflam  cuming  in  at 
the  door,  and  me  gilty  hart  misgiving 
me,  I  grabbed  Minnie  by  the  arm  and 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  «7 

we  wint  out  of  wan  dure  as  Miss  Flim- 
flam wint  in  by  anuther. 

"Delia,  its  a  gump  you  are"  ses  Minnie 
with  scorn,  "but  never  mind,  yeVe  dun 
enuflF  for  to-day.  We'll  be  back  to- 
morrow." 


CHAPTER  V 


FOLLOWING  DAT 

AWOKE.    Arose  again  at  8:30. 
Dressed.  Washed. 
Minnie  and  I  interfiewed  the  foUering 
ladies  in  regard  to  a  position. 

Mrs.  Spunk.  She  offered  me  $20  for 
cooking — 2  in  family.  The  wages  were 
too  small.    I  refused  it  wid  contimt. 

Mrs.  Drool.  $25.  cook  and  londress. 
Minnie  told  her  londiy  work  wud  spyle 
me  hands. 

Mrs.  Lambkin — 8  in  family — Cook- 
ing. $30.  Minnie  sed  Id  be  after  war- 
ing the  souls  of  me  feet  off  rooning  oop 
and  down  for  the  8  of  thim. 

Mrs.  Colebin:  $80.  Cooking  and  wait- 
ing on  table.  Minnie  sed  no  cook  cud 
be  expicted  to  wate  on  table  orlso. 

99 


80. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


Me  arms  wud  be  after  aking  wid  passing 
the  hiwy  dishes  around. 

Mrs.  Sesick  $40.  Minnie  sed  we  was 
above  warking  for  sporting  ladies  at 
any  price.  Any  lady,  ses  Minnie,  who 
paints  her  hair  and  eyes  and  mouth 
and  cheeks,  and  pads  oop  her  natchurall 
hooman  body  isnt  a  lady  at  all,  but  a 
plane  sporting  woman. 


CHAPTER  VI 


TWO  WEEKS  LATER 

T  WINT  to  the  AUuyunce  to-day  for 
the  first  time  alone.  Minnie  sed 
she  was  after  being  worn  out  wid  kaping 
me  frum  accipting  the  woorthliss  places 
offered  by  the  pathrons  of  the  AUuyunce. 
"Ye  shud  have  enuff  spunk  yersilf  by 
now"  ses  she.  "Dont  be  saft.  Ray- 
mimber  ladies  is  your  natrel  inimies 
and  beests  of  prey  on  poor  hilpless 
sarvant  girls." 

Miss  Flimflam  spyed  me  as  soon  as  I 
intered,  and  tuk  me  by  the  arm  just  as 
I  was  going  to  the  room  upstares. 

"I'm  glad"  ses  she  corjully,  "youve 
cum  alone.  Your  frind  was  a  inkubust" 
868  she.  "Now  cum  rite  along  wid  me. 
Theres  a  swate  little  lady  wants  a  girl 


St       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

just  like  you'*  ses  she,  **and  shes  willing 
to  pay  you  well  and  treet  you**  ses  she, 
shmiling,  "like  a  lady.*' 

Wid  that  she  leeds  me  acrost  the 
room  to  wan  of  the  sofies,  and  pushes 
out  wid  her  foot  wan  of  thim  camp 
stules  for  the  girls  to  sit  upon. 

'*Good  marning  mam"  ses  I,  lifting 
up  me  eyes  modestly,  and  then  I  give 
sooch  a  joomp  the  dummed  stool  dubbles 
up  under  me  and  down  I  cum  wid  a 
boomp  on  the  flure.  For  there  sitting 
looking  at  me,  very  much  surprysed  and 
horty  is  Miss  Claire  hersilf.  She  smiled 
a  bit  whin  I  picked  mesilf  up,  and  ses  I: 

"Why,  miss,  the  site  of  your  pretty 
face  just  about  flabbergasted  me.  How 
are  you  ?"  ses  I. 

"Quite  well,  thank  you'*  ses  she, 
very  stiffly. 

"And  your  mother?" 

**— er  mother  is  pretty  well"  ses  she. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  9$ 


"Your  father." 

"Papa  is--er— about  the  same"  ses 
she. 

"Mr.  Johnny?" 
"Still  dy-et-ing,  Delia." 

"And  Mr.  James  '* 

"James  ^well,  Delia,  nun  of  us  are 

very  well.   James  «e«  he  has  intygischun." 

"And  what  is  that?"  I  inquires 
cooryissly. 

" — er — a  sort  of  pane  in  the — er — 
stumniick"  ses  she. 
"Is  it  billy  ake  yure  meening?" 
She  blushes,  and  ses: 
"I  suppose  so." 

"Who  do  be  doing  the  cooking?" 
I  arsks. 

"Well— er— 7  tried.  Delia  dont  you 
dare  to  larf "  ses  she  indignantly. 

"Larf!"  ses  I,  "Why  Lor  bless  your 
hart  darlint,  I'd  more  likely  be  weeping 
for  the  unhappy  family." 


M      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

She  leened  lords  me,  wid  her  horchure 
quite  gone»  and  looking  as  meek  and 
swate  as  a  kitten  in  thrubble. 

"Delia"  ses  she,  **Iye  had  elivin 
girls  in  since  you  left"  ses  she. 

"You  poor  lamb!'* 

She  puts  on  that  weedling  voyce  she 
has  whin  bothering  me  to  let  her  make 
mussy  foodge  in  me  frying  pans: 

"Delia"  ses  she,  "w-wudnt  you  like 
to  cum  back?" 

shuk  me  hed.  Then  she  set  back, 
her  horchure  cuming  back  agin. 

"O  weir*  ses  she,  **theres  hundreds 
of  uther  girls." 

'  Yes"  ses  I  "the  same  as  the  elivin 
yourve  had." 

"Delia"  ses  she  wid  pashion  "for 
pity  sake  do  come  back.  I  did  thry 
to  do  my  best  but  its  like  attempting 
to  pleese  a  family  of  porkypines  since 
you  left  and  O!  those  awful  craychures 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  95 


that  came  after  you  left.  Why  wan  of 
thim"ses  she  indignaiitly  **wa8  want  to 

tak  the  soyled  table  linen— aven  the 
lace  doylies— for  dish  cloths." 

"My  God!  miss"  ses  I  "you  dont 
meen  them  buties  you  made  yersilf?" 

"Yes  indade»"  ses  she  turning  her 
face  away. 

"Miss  Claire"  ses  I. 

"Yes  Delia"  ses  she  quickly,  turning 
round  in  a  bounce. 

"Nothing"  ses  I.  angiy  wid  mesilf 
for  me  meekness. 

** Delia"  ses  she  despritly,  "we've  tuk  a 
place  in  the  cuntry.  We  must  have  a  girl. 
Its  dredful  to  think  of  being  widout  one. 
O  Delia,  do  please  cum  wid  us." 

"No-o—Miss— "  ses  I  a  bit  tremen- 
dulussly. 

"1*11— 1*11— give  you  that  old— ^r— 
its  not  relly  old— black  taffita  jacket  of 
mine"  ses  she. 


99       THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA 

I  ikuk  me  bed. 

«nd  the  skurt  wid  the  box  plates" 
lei  she  ''and  you  can  have  that  tucked 
shemysett — you  no,  the  one  you  do  up 

so  luvly." 

"No  Miss  Claire'*  ses  I  firmly,  get- 
ting up.  *'I'm  for  ulher  wark  than 
gineral  housewark."  She  got  up  also, 
and  her  voyce  sounds  a  bit  shakey. 

«*Very  well  Delia"  ses  she.   "Its  hard 

on  me  so  much  tnibble  "  Thin 

her  blue  eyes  run  over,  and  she  walked 
away,  wiping  thim  wid  her  handkychiff. 
I  seen  her  go  out  the  dure.  I  filt  a  sink- 
ing at  me  hart.  Minnie  Camavan  was 
forgotten,  and  like  the  gump  she  ses 
I  am  I  made  a  grand  dash  fur  the  dure, 
wid  all  the  Miss  Flimflams  of  the  AUuy- 
unce,  and  the  ladies  thimsilves  gaping 
after  me  in  borrow.  I  seen  Miss  Claire 
half  a  block  away,  and  I  run  after  her 
puiidng: 


THE  DIARY  OP   DELU  37 

"Miss  CUure!  Darlint!  Miss  Claiie!'* 
I  called  alter  her.  She  turned  about 
and  guve  me  wan  look.  Then  she  made 
a  like  grand  dash  as  mesilf.  Her 
parrysol  flew  out  of  her  hand,  also  her 
rist  bag. 

"O  Delia— you  duck  "  sea  she,  and 
kissed  me  wid  a  smack,  hugging  and 
squazing  me  manewile. 

There  cum  three  yung  doods  march- 
ing down  the  Avenoo,  and  as  Miss 
Claire  taks  me  in  her  arms  the  bauld 
yung  chaps  stud  still  and  hxiked  at  us 
and  shmiled.  Thin  one  bint  down  and 
keerfully  picked  up  the  parrysol  and 
wiped  it  wid  the  sleeve  of  his  foine  gray 
coat.  As  me  and  Miss  Claire  extrycate 
ourselves  he  offers  it  to  her  wid  a  bow. 
She  toomed  red  as  a  peen^  and  her  bloo 
eyes  guv  one  luk  up  at  the  dood,  then 
drapped  demoorly: 

"Thanks"  ses  she,  "Thanks  agin" 


88       THE  .DIARY  OF  DELIA 

ses  she,  as  he  likewise  returns  her  rist- 
bag.  He  lifted  up  his  hat,  waited  a 
bit  for  more  thanks,  and  thin  marched 
aff,  shmiling  like  his  face  wud  bust. 
She  smiles  too,  and  ses  I,  boorsting: 

"A  roomance,  Miss  Claire!  Be  all 
the  saints  in  hivin  and  airth,  yeVe  luked 
into  the  eyes  of  your  hoosband." 

"Nonsense"  ses  she,  laffing,  "you're 
the  same  old  silly  sintimental  Delia. 
Cum  home  deer." 


CHAPTER  Vn 

TWO  WEEKS  LATER 


AWOKE,  aroze,  washed,  dressed, 
made  me  bed.  Spint  the  bitter 
part  of  a  our  or  more  trying  to  make 
that  dummed  stove  bum.  Its  a  wild 
wildemiss  of  a  ;  lace  is  this  and  its  hard 
indade  for  a  pure  loansum  innercent 
female  to  bare  the  silence  of  the  atmust- 
fear.  Whin  Miss  Chiire  a  spoke  <^  the 
Gountiy  I  had  thort  of  Asbry  Park  or 
Coney  Island  and  such  like  sinsible 
places,  but  indade  theres  no  bordwalk 
here  at  all  at  all  and  the  only  kinds  of 
bands  and  orkistrys  is  in  the  trees.  Wirra, 
wirra,  wirra !  The  kitchens  in  the  bastement 
and  the  dining  room  a  flure-^boTe.  Ishuk 
me  hed  oyer  this  contrivance  whin  I  first 
•een  it,  but  Miss  Claire  ses  very  swately: 


10 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


"Now  doant  you  be  arfter  wurryiog 
about  that'*  ses  she  "fur  theres  a  dumm 
waiter  in  the  butlers  pantry." 

Wid  that  she  showed'  me  a  contrapshon 
in  the  wall,  and  wint  to  work  pulling  at 
the  ropes. 

"Dumm!"  ses  I,  shouting  wid  me 
rarth,  "Is  it  dumm  you  call  the  dumm 
thing.  My  God,  Miss,"  ses  I  "Its 
noysy  enuflF  to  waken  the  deff." 

"Nonsense"  ses  she  "and  down  stares" 
ses  she,  "there  do  be  anuther  nice  little 
dyning  room,  Delia,  wich  you  can  ha\e 
all  for  yoursilf.  Think  of  it!"  ses  she, 
"How  many  poor  girls  in  New  York 
has  a  privit  sitting  room  and  dining- 
room  all  to  thimsilves"  ses  she. 

"My  God  Miss"  ses  I,  **Am  I  to  set 
alone  in  that  privit  room?" 

"Of  coorse"  ses  she,  "and  by  and  by" 
she  adds  consoalingly,  "yell  git  aquainted 
in  the  naybyhood,  and  who  knows  but  a 
NUe  will  come  your  way !  Hay  ho ! "  ses  she. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


41 


"Kites  enuff"  ses  I  me  milincoly 
hiyyy  on  me  chist»  "itil  be  all  nites  now 
for  me  Miss  Claire." 

"You  Goose!"  ses  she,  "I  dont  meen 
that  kind  of  Nile,  but — but — ^you  know — a 
grate  handsome  fellar  of  a  Nite"  ses  she. 

"Is  it  a  how  ye're  maning?"  I  arsks 
sarcarskullulfy. 

"Yes  Delia  dear." 

"And  sorrer  a  Nite  of  that  kind  will 
I  get  Miss'*  ses  I  moanfully. 

She  opened  her  blue  eyes  big,  and 
shuk  her  hed  mysteerissly. 

"  Its  in  the  cuntiy  they  abownd  "  ses  she. 

"And  lit  them  cum  abownding"  ses  I 
snorting,  "Its  a  foine  gintlemanly  sort" 
ses  I  "wud  abound  into  the  prisince  of  a 
loidy.  If  it's  oanly  the  bounding  kind 
ye're  haveing  here,  Miss  Claire,  th^d  bit- 
ter kape  their  distance  frum  me  kitchen.*' 


CHAPTER  Vm 


A  FEW  DATS  lATEB 

AWOKE — aroze — washed — dressed — 
made  me  bed — ^Imtied  me  slops. 
I  tuk  a  bit  ot  paper  from  Mr.  John's 
desk,  and  I  penned  the  foUering  warning 
in  plane  litters  and  langwidge : 

BRIKFUST  SARYED 
AT  8  OANLET 
NO  BRIKFUST 
SARYED  LATEB 

This  I  taxed  artiskully  upon  the  dining- 
room  door — ^facing  all  eyes. 

Mr.  John — mating  his  loan  cup  of  hot 
water  looks  up.  Hes  a  gintle  spaking 
gintleman  in  contrarst  to  his  bnith» 
James.  The  rayson  of  this  Mr.  WoUey 
eiq>layned  to  me  wanse  was  that  Mr. 

48 


44 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


John  is  an  eediotor  wile  Mr.  James  is 
a  bawld  voiced  orthor,  spaking,  ses 
Mr.  WoUey,  wid  the  orful  tung  of  the 
muck  raker.  Well  Mr.  John  looks  up 
gintly  and  fidgets  his  paper  and  ses 
mildly: 

"Er  ^Delia— er  " 

"Well?"  ses  I,  fite  in  me  toans. 

"Another  cup  of  hot  water  if  you 
plase"  ses  he. 

He  hild  up  the  cup  befure  his  eyes 
suspishussly. 

" — er  Delia"  ses  he,  making  an  eflFet 
to  mollyfy  me  timper.  "How  do  you 
like  it  here"  ses  he. 

"Like  it!  My  God  its  a  loan  wilder- 
nis^  of  a  place,  sor,"  Ses  I. 

"Shaw!"  ses  he,  "Why  theeres  forty- 
two  families  on  the  Poynt." 

"The  Poynt?" 

"Yes.  They  call  this  neck  of  land 
the  Poynt"  ses  he  "I  suppose  becorse 


\ 


THB  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

iU  just  a  poynt  of  land  numiiig  into  the 
Sound." 

"Its  a  bloont  poynt'*  ses  I. 

"It  is**  ses  he,  **but  down  at  the  ind 
of  it,  there  is  a  very  fine  poynt  of  land. 
Me  brother  waggushly  corls  it  'Rogues 
Poynt' "  ses  he. 

"And  why  sor?" 

"Haw,  haw!"  ses  he,  larfing  into  his 

napkin. 

Mr.  James  cum  sontering  in  joost 
thin  in  tinnis  pants.  He  tramped  acrost 
me  imacklate  floor,  banged  out  a  chare 
and  doomped  himself  into  it. 

"Me  brekfust  in  a  hurry  Delia"  ses 
he.  "Whats  the  joke  Johnny'*  ses  he 
to  his  larfing  brother. 

"I  was  telling  Delia  the  name  ye've 
given  the  Poynt-— Rogues  Po^  *it." 

"Hum!"  ses  Mr.  James,  ating  amor- 
osly  on  a  grape  froot.  "Its  like  this 
Delia**  ses  he,  guving  me  a  seeriess 


46       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

look,  **The  2  show  places  on  the  ind 
of  the  Poynt  are  occipied  respictably 
by  an  Oil  magnut  and  a  Tntyrmfrr 
Prissydint" 

**And  be  fikey  ragnes?**  adm  I 
innercently. 

Dal  lied  raskils'*  ses  Jauies 
soUemly. 


CHAFTES  DC 


AN0TH1»  DAT 

A  i^07^  Got  up.  Dressed.  Made 
•*  *     Ilk;  bed.   Imtied  me  slops. 

>  wa    you  all  to  lis  en  to  me"  set 
^     e»    idrissing  tbe 
-aniiiy  iu  the  c  fiing-room.  "Now" 

**if  I'm  to  be  housekaper  and  we 
'■ant  afford  but  wan  girl  and  the  works 
altogether  too  hewy  t  Delia  akae 
and  shdl  be  hiving  us  i     — " 

"SkV*  says  her  motii^  fake  kmet, 
bM  in  the  bootlers  panti^ ,  making  the 
salad. 

"Nonsinse"  ses  Mr.  James,  "shes 
at  the  keyhole  lissening.*' 

"  WeU,  but  do  Ussen  aU/'  ai^  Miss 
Claire.  "Iverybody"  ses  she,  ''has  got 
to  do  his  indivijool  share  of  work.  Hie 


48       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

Ions  must  be  cut.  A  garden  must  be 
planted.  Frish  vegitables  are  absolootely 
nidssiry.  James"  ses  she  swateiy,  "  You 
can  cut  the  Ions." 

"  Lons ! "  cryes  he  in  thoondering  toans. 
"I  cut  lons!  Why  me'  deer  sister  its 
aginst  me  most  artistick  instink'*  ses 
he.  "Its  wan  of  me  firm  and  uncon- 
tradictible  opinyons  that  lons  shud  re- 
mane  uncut.  Why  annyone  can  have 
cut  lons.  Luk  at  the  places  around  us, 
widout  an  ixcipshun  the  lons  are  cut 
slick  and  smooth  as  a  yooths  chin.  I 
tell  you  sister  mine"  ses  he  "its  more 
artistick  to  let  your  grass  grow  long." 

"Nonsinse"  ses  Miss  Claire. 

Here  Mr.  John  tuk  up  the  coodgills 
for  his  sister. 

*'Unkemp  lons"  ses  he,  "are  artistick 
cm  the  same  principle  as  the  ass  is  a 
boheemyun  who  smoaks  and  drinks  in 
out  of  way  outlandish  joynts  and  has 


THE  DIARY  OP  DELIA  40 

an  inborn  prejydiss  aginst  a  manicar 
parlor.  'Dirty  nales'  ses  he,  in  the 
like  toan  of  me  brother  'is  artistick.' 
Jimmy,  boy,  explane  the  artistick  sinse 
of  uncut  Ions?" 

"Deny  it  if  you  can"  shouted  Mr. 
James,  thoomping  on  the  table  "I  chal- 
linge  you.  Do  you  mane  to  assert  that 
the  fat  broaker  who  kapes  his  Ions  and 
drives  clane  as  a  well  swipt  parlor  has 
the  same  artistick  sinse  as  the  chap  who 
lets  his  grarss  grow  gracefully  aloft  kiss- 
ing the  gintle  seffers  which  swape  the 
jewey-  " 

Here  I  heard  the  contemshus  russel 
of  Mr.  John's  paper. 

"Do  be  sinsible  Jimmy*'  ses  Mrs. 
WoUey.  "Claire  is  quite  right.  The 
Ions  must  be  cut  If  we  dont  cut  them 
nobody*!!  caU  mi  us.  We'll  be  marked 
and  shunned  in  this  community." 

H«pe  lioth  Mr.  James  and  John  as* 


80       THE  DIAEY  OF  DELIA 


sayed  to  spake  at  wanse,  the  latter  aisily 
being  drowned  out  by  the  thoonder 
toans  of  the  hedstrung  orthor. 

"Mother!"  ses  he  "I'm  ashamed  of 
you.  Can  I  beleeve  me  eers.  Is  it  me 
own  mother— the  woman  who  gave  me 
berth  spaking?  Do  you  achooly  mane 
that  you  are  inspired  wid  a  dred  that 
these  essenshilly  vulger  fatheaded  ras- 
killy  rich  nayburs  of  ours  may  not  call 
on  us?  What!"  ses  he,  drowning  the 
interrupting  voyce  of  Mr.  John,  "Do 
you  desire  there  acquaytinse  ?" 

"Me  brotyer"  ses  Mr.  John  gintly,**finds 
his  vocatshun  rooning  from  his  finger  tips 
tohistung.  Tohimthem«cfackof  being 
rich  is  to  be  likewise  a  fool  and  nam" 

"I  claim"  ses  Mr.  James  thoomping 
on  the  toble  "that  a  man  cannot  make 
a  billion  onestly.  I  agree  wid  me  frind 
Andrew  Carnegie,  who  denies  he  sed  it, 
that  its  impossible." 


THE  DIARY  OP  DELIA  51 

"  What  of  those  who  inherit    ses  Bin. 

WoUey. 

"Poony-sded,  puppy  heded  eediots. 
What  rite  I  asks  have  they  to  ka'pe  the 
money  stolen  from  the  peeple  by  there 
fathers?" 

Mr.  Wolley  put  in  a  word  here  edge- 
wise. 

"It  seems  to  me  James*'  ses  he  "that 
you  are  wilfully  departing  from  the 
mooted  subject.  I  belave  in  dyagres- 
sion— to  a  limited  extint— and  whin  by 
gintle  degrees  it  permits  us  to  cum  bm^ 
to  the  subjeck  under  discushion." 

"Yes"  ses  Miss  Claire,  "we  must 
get  back  to  the  Ions.  Its  settled.  James 
you  will  cut  them  at  leest  wanse  a  week." 

"Once  a  week!  Lord  God  of  Isreel!" 
grones  Mr.  James,  "I'll  be  a  fim^ 
reck  befure  the  summ^  wanes." 

"Next"  ses  Miss  Claire,  "Jdinny 
you  must  take  care  of  the  horse." 


89 


THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA 


I  thort  Mr.  John  must  be  tearing  up 
his  paper,  from  the  noyse  of  its  russeling. 
I  pfcned  up  closer  to  the  dure. 

"Clwre,  my  deer"  ses  he,  "I  beg 
you  think  behire  you  spake.  Fve  never 
handled  a  horse  in  me  life.  If  you 
contimplate  the  purchase  of  a  baste, 
you  will  have  to  hire  a  man  to  care  for 
it.  I  draw"  ses  he  '*  the  lines  at  stable 
work." 

"Very  well"  ses  she,  "you  can  go 
walk  the  mile  or  2  to  the  village  after 
the  mail." 

"We'll  take  turn  about"  ses  Mr.  John. 

"What!"  shouts  Mr.  James,  "and  me 
wid  my  grass  cutting!" 

"To  orffset  that"  ses  Was  Claire, 
"John  can  rayse  our  vigitables." 

"My  deer  child—"  began  Mr.  John 
"I  know  not  the  first  thing  of — er  " 

"You're  all  just  horrid."  ses  Miss 
Claire  and  she  pushed  back  her  chare. 


THE  DIARY  OP  DELIA  59 


"Very  well  then,  I  wash  my  hands  ol 
the  hole  affare." 

"James"  ses  Mr.  Wollej  in  stuia 
commanding  toans,  "You  will  cut  the 
Ions  as  intercated  by  your  sister.  John" 
ses  he  "I  will  expect  you  to  rayse  addecut 
vigKables  for  the  table.** 

"Daddy"  ses  Miss  Claire,  "you'll  go  to 
the  Post-Office  wont  you  like  an  angel?** 
"Certainly  my  deer**  ses  he,  "It  will 
give  me  grate  pleshure."  A  silence  fol- 
lowed here,  and  the  auld  gintleman 
must  have  bethort  him  of  his  hasty 
promise,  for  ses  he: 

"We  wiU  kape  a  horse'*  ses  he,  "at 
a  neerby  livery  stable.*' 

Mr.  James  bust  out  larfing. 
"Whats  my  juties  to  be?"  swately 
inquires  Mrs.  WoUey,  trying  to  change 
the  paneful  subject 

"Oh  mamma'*  ses  Mjss  CUure,  "you 
may  care  for  the  chicks." 


54 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


"IM  me  see"  ses  Mrs.  Wolley  "Aren't 
thmsuch  tkii^a»— «r — ^lice— connected 

"Yes  deer — ^but  if  you'll  kape  the 
coop  always  witewashed"  ses  Miss  Claire, 
"the  lice '11  go.** 

Mrs.  Woll^  c^ed  unai^iy. 

"And  nom  ffeu,  nass?"  sbouts  Ifr. 
James*  "wiiat  have  you  left  for  your- 
■elftodo?" 

"Theres  a  thousand  and  wan  things, 
but  as  my  cheef  and  spechul  jooty  out- 
side of  the  hiwy  housekaping  wid  the 
constant  tack  and  diplomassy  it  intales 
to  kape  our  unsertin  Delia,  I  will  under- 
take to — er — ^rayse  sweet  flowers  for  the 
beutifying  of  our  Ions  and  house." 

"Call  that  work!"  larfs  Mr.  James. 

"You  inappreeshitive  duffer"  ses  Mr. 
Jdm  in  his  gintlest  voyce.  "I  vote 
that  we  adjoin." 

"One    moment"    ses    Mr.  James. 


THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA  85 


"What  of  BiUy?  Is  he  to  be  the  sole 
number  ol  this  iimei^tick  family  to 
live  in  aise  and  lazy  cumfut?'* 

"  No  indeedy  "  ses  Miss  re.  "  Never ! 
Tho  but  6  yeers  of  age,  he.-,  old  enuff  to 
em  his  daily  bred.  Willy"  ses  she 
"shall  be  our  yuniversul  caddy.  His  will 
be  the  tax  ol  carrying  water  to  the 
hungry  thoorsty  wans  what  toyle." 


i 

i 


I 


CHAPTER  X 


THE  NEXT  DAT 

T  WAS  up  to  me  een  in  work— it  being 
wash  day.  As  I  carried  the  clothes 
out  to  be  hung  I  noted  the  following: 
Mr.  John  was  walking  up  and  down 
taking  triminjus  long  stips  back  and 
forth  over  the  back  km.  Wkl  the  taka 
of  his  coat  flying  mi  bdiind  him  and 
his  spicktides  hanging  by  a  string  from 
his  eer  he  looked  so  like  a  loonytick  that 
I  drapped  me  baskit  of  clothes. 

"My  God,  Mr.  John"  I  exclaimed 
involuntararariiy  "Are  you  sun  sirack. 
Whats  the  tmbble"  ses  I,  and  I  stqiped 
him  in  his  mad  careerer  as  Mr.  James 
wud  call  it  by  grabbing  him  by  his  cote 
tales.  He  turned  about,  looks  at  me 
wid  wild  eyes  and  se»  horseiy: 

07 


n      THE  DIABY  OF  DBLIA 

"Twinty-two  and  a  harf — ^twinty-two 
and  a— Bother  the  girit"  ses  he  inter- 
rupting himsilf,  "Are  you  crazy?  Let 

go  me  cote  tales."  I  releesed  him. 
Ses  he  irrytibly: 

"Can't  you  see  I'm  bizzy?  I'm 
meshuring  off  me  vigitible  garden"  and 
wid  that  he  starts  marching  over  the 
same  line  agin. 

"  "My  God,  Mr.  John!"  ses  I  "are 
you  using  yur  legs  for  a  meshure?" 

But  he  herd  me  not.  I  toar  me  horry- 
fied  eyes  away  fhim  the  madman,  and 
just  then  I  seen  Mr.  James.  He  was 
standing  also  on  the  Ion,*  neerer  the 
frunt  of  the  house.  He's  leening  on 
the  Ion  mower,  and  if  ever  I  seen  dispare 
in  human  eyes  it  was  in  those  orbs  of 
Mr.  Jam^.  I  wint  to  him  wid  me 
hart  full  of  sympathy  for  the  lad. 

"  Whats  ailing  you  Mr.  James  ?**  I  arsks. 

"The  Ions!"  ses  he.   "You  will  ob- 


THB  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


Mm  Ddift  "thai  Fm  eomamdng  me 
al  the  beginning  oi  tlie  week,  for 
I  am  firmly  convinsed  no  human  arm 
cood  cut  those  Ions  in  less  than  sivin  days." 

"Why  dont  you  get  a  dago,  Mr. 
Mmm*'  aes  I. 

ses  Mr,  James,  guving  me  arm 
a  skur.  "  Spake  lowly  Delia.  Ob-sarve" 
and  he  poynted  acrost  the  Ions. 

There  aginst  the  finse  which  dividea 
our  place  irom  a  grate  estate  was  Ifiss 
Claire  herdi  digging,   1^  liad  a  little 
red  gi  i'lfum  aprun  over  her  dress  and 
the  s)^         -Ks  rolled  oop  to  the  ilbos. 
On  her      '    was  the  strfciij^tv-jt  looking 
site  of  a  hat.   I  redemise:!  it  ^id  hoRer. 
It  wtts  a  j^Mnish  BMmsterosity  Bfir.  James 
Iwol  hrnda  wid  lilm  that  time  he  winl 
to  Pannyrna  to  expose  the  Prissydint. 
Until  this  day  Miss  Claire  had  yused  it 
for  a  waste  paper  barsket  in  her  locmi, 
tying  it  in  a  boo  ach  wid  ribb<»  tad 


M       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

hanging  it  artisticully  upon  the  wall. 
Now  she  woar  it  on  her  hed!  Joost  thin 
she  looked  up  from  her  digging  and 
seen  me. 

"Now  Delia"  ses  she  "dont  be  lyjther- 
ing  Jimmy.  Hes  got  lots  to  do.  We 
all  have"  she  adds  swately. 

"What  be  you  doing  Miss  Claire?*' 
arsks  I,  going  over  to  her,  and  looking 
wid  suspisshon  at  the  hole  she's  after 
diggin.  "My  God  Miss"  ses  I  "it 
looks  like  a  grave." 

"Delia!  Why"  ses  she  "I'm  sitting 
out  a  flouring  hidge.  I'm  foUring  the 
rules  of  the  bist  orthorittto  on  horty- 
culcheer.  See:"  and  she  poynted  to  her 
pockets  which  were  boolging  out  wid 
books.  "All  are  agreed"  ses  she"ihat 
a  gardin  shud  be  begun  wid  a  flouring 
hidge.  My  gardin  will  be  <me  glow  ci 
luvliness  from  spring  till  frorst  and  may- 
be later.   Its  possible." 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  81 

"But  miss"  ses  I  **ye'll nade a gardiner 
for  the  tax" 

"Never!  Why  I've  been  setting  up 
nites  studying  me  subjeck.   I  eipect 

to  devoat  "  just  thin  she  guv  a  littfe 

joomp  and  her  cheeks  turned  pink  wid 
excitement. 

"My  goodness  Delia!"  ses  she  wisp^ 
ing,  "th-theres  a  man'*  ses  die. 

"Whare?"  ses  I,  glaring  about  me, 
riddy  for  war  upon  anny  dirbr  tramps 
trispessing  upon  our  place. 

"The  other  side  the  fince"  ses  she, 
wispering.  I  looked  over,  but  se«i  no 
wan. 

"Are  you  quite  mreV*  asks  she,  trim- 
bling  a  bit. 

"I  am"  ses  I.  She  turned  pale,  and 
siesed  hold  of  me  arm. 

"Delia!"  ses  she  whispering  "d-d-d- 
do  you  remimber  that — that— young  rotok 
who  


62 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


"Is  it  your  future  hoosband  ye're 
maning?" 

"Nonsinse"  ses  she  blushing,  "but 
— but  I  meen  him  anyhow.  Well — ^well — 
do  you  know — ^I—I — ^I'm  afrade  he's 
honiing  me"  ses  she. 

"My  God  miss"  ses  I  "do  you  think 
he's  a  banshee?" 

"No,  no  Delia— but— but  well"  ses 
she,  "the  fack  is  I'm  always  blinking 
about  him,  and  now — now  ackshully 
I  thort  I  saw  him'— over  there"  ses  she. 

"Suppose"  ses  I  "you  tak  a  look  again 
Miss  Claire." 

"I  cant"  ses  she,  shinking  aginst  me, 
"and  beside  the  finse  is  so  h%h.  It»— 
its— much  taller  than  I  am"  ses  she. 

"Ah  come  on"  ses  I,  and  pulled  her 
to  the  finse.  "Here  miss,  I'll  lift  you 
up,"  and  wid  that  I  grabbed  her  by 
the  waste  and  bawled  her  up.  She 
screemed.   I  dropped  her  wid  a  boomp. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


«8 


for  there  looking  over,  rubbing  his  hed 
where  Miss  Claire  has  boomped  aginst 
it,  is  the  Madison  Avenos  deed.  Mias 
Ckke  tuk  to  her  f eet  asd  wii^  flyiog 
tord  the  koiise,  her  hook»  tepping  oi^ 
of  her  poddts  as  she  nm. 


CHAPTER  XI 


NEXT  DAT 

T  ARST  nite  Miss  Claire  cum  into 
^  me  bedroom.  Ske  looked  like  a 
bit  of  a  girl  in  her  little  frilled  nitedress 
and  her  pretty  hare  hanging  down  her 
back  in  2  curly  brades.  **  Are  you  awake  ?" 
ses  she  turning  on  the  lite.  "Dont  be 
angry  please  Delia  deer"  ses  she.  "I 
wanted  to  talk  to  somewan." 

She  coodled  oop  aginst  me,  thin  she 
laned  over  and  whispered: 

"Delia,  tell  me  the  trooth,  d-d-d-did 
you  see  him— k-kiss  me?"  ses  she  iiish- 
ing  all  aver. 

"The  yung  spalpeen!"  ses  I,  imd  thin 
she  hid  her  face  in  her  hand. 

"Oh  Delia  I*m — I*m — ^so — ashamed  I 
d-dont  know  what  to  do." 


M       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

"Do!"  sesl.  "Why  tell  your  brothers 
dariint.  They'll  «wape  the  airth  wid 
the  impidint  yung  spalpeen." 

"No,  no,  no!  We  must  never  breethe 
a  word"  ses  she.  "Promise  me  you 
wont,  Delia,"  and  she  sarches  me  face. 

"Dariint"  ses  I  "all  the  torchures 
of  the  dummed  could  not  unlock  me 
lips.  Your  sacred  swatehart  is  secure 
in  me  bussum." 

Wid  that  she  guv  me  a  kiss,  and 
wint  steeling  out  agin. 

"Mr.   John"   ses   I,   this  marning 
while  hes  ating  his  loan  brakf ust  (a  cup 
of  biling  water)  I'm  looking  for  sartin 
infamation. 

"Well  fire  away  Delia"  ses  he  still 
absarbed  in  his  paper. 

"If  a  lady"  ses  I  "was  to  kiss  a 
gintleman  wid  hoom  she  was  not 
acquinted  wud  the  gintleman  be  in^ 
soolted  ?" 


THE  DIARY  OP  DELIA  87 

He  put  down  his  paper,  tuk  off  his 
glarses  and  looked  at  me  sollemly. 

"Has  some  wan  kissed  you  Delia?" 
ses  he. 

"My  God,  no  sir"  ses  I,  "but  I'm 
studying  the  respectful  sects." 

He  retired  behind  his  paper  agin, 
and  Mi,  James  cum  wistling  into  the 
room.   Hes  very  cheerful  these  days 
is  Mr.  Jimmy.   He  gets  app,  he  ses. 
at  5  A.  M.  in  the  morning  to  cut  the  Ions. 
The  tax  he  ses  at  that  wiching  our  is 
anchanting.   Ivery  maming  when  we 
get  up  we  see  a  porshon  of  the  Ion  cut. 
At  8  Mr.  James  sonters  in  frish  from  his 
after  cutting  Ion  bath  as  he  calls  it. 
"Sum  day"  ses  Mr.  John  who  has  his 
trubbles  digging  up  the  airth  where  the 
vigitibles  are  to  go  "I'U  try  your  skeem." 

"Don't"  ses  Mr.  James  anxshissly. 
"What  applies  to  Ions  may  not  do  for 
gardins." 


68      THB  DIABY  OF  DELIA 

Well  this  marning,  Mr.  John  repeats 
me  quistioii  to  fait  lnK>thtf . 

"Ddia"  ses  he  "wants  to  know  how 
a  man  wud  feel  if  suddintly  assolted  and 

amberaced  by  a  yung  and  pretty  lady 
— of  coorse  shes  yung  and  pretty,  Delia 
eh?"  ses  he. 

"YHiat  wud  he  do!"  ses  Mr.  James. 
"Lord  God  of  Isreel  why  he'd— he'd 
pursoo  her  like  a  caveman  till  she  guv 
anuther  kiss." 

"My  God!"  ses  I  drapping  the  dishes 
in  me  hand,  "and  wimmen  is  jest  alike." 

I  wint  down  to  me  kitchen,  whare 
I  guv  a  peece  of  me  min<t  to  the  grocer's 
man.  Shure  he  do  be  after  charging 
the  WoUeys  the  most  oonherd  of  prices 
for  the  food,  and  whin  I*m  after  making 
a  complaint  in  the  madam's  name,  the 
raskill  opp  and  offers  me  a  boniss. 

"And  what  is  that?"  ses  I. 

"  Tm  per  sint"  ses  he.   "Its  the  custom 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  M 

on  the  Poynt  amang  tbe  cooki  to  aodpt 
a  boniss  fram  tlie  tradesmen.   We  tak 

it  out  <rf  the  peeple  thimsilves"  ses  he, 
"eyther  in  wate  or  price." 

"Is  it  a  thafe  ye'd  mak  me?"  ses  I, 
faulding  me  arms  over  me  chiat.  "thin 
ye  may  thank  yere  stars"  ses  I  "that 
Miss  Claire  is  too  angaged  to  be  intei^ 
rupted  at  the  prisint  moment,  for  its  she 
hersilf  wud  be  showing  you  the  dure. 
As  it  is  I  take  the  tax  upon  mesilf." 

Wid  that  I  saysed  hauld  of  the  htwm, 
and  drove  the  craychmre  out  I  seen 
Miss  Claire  joomp  oop  from  whare  shes 
digging  at  her  floury  hidge,  and  as  the 
thafe  wint  flying  down  the  parth,  wid 
me  at  his  heels,  both  she  and  the  dood 
bust  out  larfing,  she  thrying  her  Inst 
to  kape  a  strate  face. 


CHAPTER  XI 

A  WEEK  LATEB 


/^RTERMOBILES"  ses  Mr.  Wolley 
tying  his  horse  up  feerceiy  to  the 
veranda  post  "is  a  meniss  to  our  prinnt 
civilisa^un.   Nowadays"  ses  he,  "its 
impoBsiUe  for  a  gintleman  to  ^ve  in 
quite  peece  in  aven  the  most  seclooded 
porshun  of  the  woods.    The  gratest  evil 
which  these  damnible  veehicles  have 
brot"  ses  he  "is  its  maleeviliiit  effect 
upon  the  ccmshunse  and  disposition  of 
modun  peeUe.   Peeple  who  own  these 
infemul  evil  smelling  noysy  cursed  cars 
are  like  the  victims  of  some  orful  drug-— 
devoyed  of  dacinsy— of  rispict-Hxf  con- 
sideration and  proper  mercy  tord  there 
feller  beings.   There  shud  be  a  lor  passed 
making  it  a  criminal  o£inse  punishibl^ 


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78       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

by  the  pinnytensherry  to  ride  the  dammed 
masheen  on  the  public  byways  at  all. 
Rodes  and  highways  are  the  legitimut 
proppety  of  horses  and  pedestryians. 
Its  a  disgrace  to  our  modun  civilysashun 
that  we  have  cum  to  such  a  sorry  pass — 
a  week-need  trimbling  fritened  lot  afrade 
to  vinchure  forth  for  feer  of  having  our 
lives  cut  aff  widout  warning  by  these 
infernal  veehicles." 

Wid  that  he  mops  his  brow,  and  sets 
down  widout  looking  on  the  shteps.  I 
was  swaping  down  the  verandahs  wid 
a  pale  of  water,  and  had  driven  the 
family  at  the  poynt  of  me  broom  to 
the  Ions  below.  Whin  the  auld  gintle- 
man  found  himself  sated  in  a  pool 
of  the  water  he  shoots  up  wid  a 
yell.  Miss  Claire  runs  forward  and 
trys  to  squaze  the  water  out  from  his 
cote  tales — larfing  as  her  father 
swares. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  73 

"Poor  old  daddy!"  sesshe"rmafrade 
if  I  let  you  go  arfter  the  male  much 
longer  you'll  be  a  pray  to  nerviss  pros- 
peration." 

"Do  you  imagine"  ses  the  auld  gintle- 
man  feercely  "that  I*m  to  be  robbed 
of  me  daily  drive  by  a  parcel  of  godless 
hairbrained — damnible  " 

"Papa**  ses  little  Billy,  bringing  over 
his  pale  from  his  sandpile.  "/  loves 
the  oretermobiles?" 

"Why  bless  me  hart!"  ses  the  auld 
man  melting  "and  what  do  you  know 
of  them  you  raskill"  ses  he. 

"I  had  a  ride  in  one  yistiday"  ses 
Billy. 

"What!"  ses  the  hole  family  at  wance. 

"Yes"  ses  Billy,  nodding  his  little 
hed,  "Theres  a  grate  big  wan  in  that 
place  there"  ses  he  poynting,  "and 
yistiday  when  Claire  was  digging  her 
old  flours  there  cum  a  yung  man  who 


74 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


luked  over  the  fince,  and  he  sed — ^he 
sed^—^" 

Miss  Claire  wint  first  crimson  thin 
wite.     Then  crimson  agin. 

"BiUy  deerie"  ses  she,  "cum  and 
let  me  swing  you  in  the  hammick." 

"Gro  on  Billy"  airges  Mr,  James, 
guving  his  sister  a  quare  look. 

**He  sed  good  morning  to  Claire,  and 
she  was  very  rood  and  jest  wint  on  wid 
her  digging  and  then  he  sed  he  was  sorry 
and  he  cudent  help  himself  becoz  he 
herd  what  she  sed  about  honting  her, 
and  then  he  seen  me  and  said  hello 
yung  wan,  come  over  here,  and  then 
I  went  and  he  reeched  dolvn  and  lifted 
me  up  and  tuk  me  over  to  his  place. 
And  he  guv  me  a  ride  in  his  nortemobile 
and  on  a  donkey's  back,  did'nt  he 
Claire?" 

She  sed,  widout  looking  up. 

"I  suppose  he  did,  BiUy,  but  I" 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  7< 

ses  she  "was  too  bizzy.  I— I  d-didnt 
look"  ses  she. 

Mr.  James  bounces  up.  "Claire"  ae» 
he  "that  hidge  of  yours  is  taking  a  jolly 
long  time  to  dig." 

Mrs.  Wolley  looked  turribly  alarmed. 

"He  was  probably  sum  gardiner  or 
groom"  ses  she  "Did  you  spake  to  hitn 
Claire  deer?" 

"Nof"  ses  Miss  Claire  wid  emfasis. 

"Yet  you  let  him  take  Utile  Billy?" 
ses  Mr.  James. 

"Am  I  me  brother's  kaper?"  ses  6ae 
flushing  round  on  thim  all. 

"I  won't  have  Claire  badgered"  ses 
the  auld  gintleman.  "Is  she  rayspun- 
sible  for  the  silly  thricks  of  the  yung 
ass  in  there  ?  He's  the  very  one  who 
whin  I  refoosed  to  move  oul  of  the  rode 
to  let  his  infernal  masheen  go  by  dtoft 
it  rite  under  me  horse's  nose,  almost 
upsetting   me.  Bffly"  ses  he.  "if  I 


W       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


heer  of  your  taking  any  more  rides 
or  spaking  to  the  man  over  there 
I'll  whip  you.   You  under  stand  sir?" 

"Yessir"  whimpered  the  preshus  lamb 
and  flew  to  me  arms  for  comfut. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


ANOTHEB  DAT 

ARE  you  bizzy,  Delia"  arsks  Mr. 
John,  gumming  into  me  kitch^ 
wid  a  barskit. 

"I'm  oop  to  me  eers  sor"  ses  I.  I 
wus  setting  on  the  ice  crame  freezer, 
thrying  to  cool  aff,  after  making  the 
crame  for  loonch. 

"  Wud  you  like  to  make  sum  monney " 
ses  he. 

"Shure  darlint"  ses  I. 
"I'm  tired  of  this  gardin  bisiness," 
ses  he.  "Now  these  are  seeds."  He 
set  the  barskit  down  befure  me.  "Thejnre 
joost  arrived.  Heres  a  book  giving 
fool  instruckshuns  how  to  plant  thim. 
You  go  ahed,"  ses  he  "  and  plant  thim 
whin  you  git  a  chance.     I'd  suggest" 


78 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


sea  he  **that  you  do  it  in  the  airly  mam- 
uig»  but  me  brother  James  who  cuts 
the  Ions  at  those  unairthly  ours  wud 
see  you,  so  do  it  whenever  the  feeld  is 
cleer.     And  heres  a  dollar." 

"Thank  you  sor"  ses  I.  I  set  to 
wark  at  wance  imtying  the  seeds  from 
there  respictible  packages  into  me  bred 
pan.  Then  I  give  them  all  a  good 
mixup  thegither.  The  book  I  shuved 
aside  wid  scorn. 

"Anny  wan  I'm  thinking  but  a  doom 
eediot  cud  plant  seeds  in  the  ground*' 
ses  I  to  mesilf,"  and  what  wud  I  be 
arfter  needing  instroockshuns  for  ?" 

Joost  thin  Miss  Claire  cum  in  to 
guv  me  the  orders  os  I  tuk  it  for  the  day. 
Shes  a  bit  flustered  and  oopset. 

"O  Delia"  ses  she  "what  do  you 
think.  A  cupple  of  papa's  frinds  have 
cum  up  frum  town,  and  we'll  have  to 
kape  thim  for  loonch.  What  have  we  got  ?" 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  70 


"See  for  yersilf"  ses  I,  biling  ow 
wid  rage.  Company  indade  on  Winsdy, 
wid  the  tale  ind  ci  the  ironing  to  finish, 
and  seeds  to  be  planted  in  the  gardin. 

"O  deer!"  ses  she  "there  is'nt  a 

thing  hardly.     What  will  we  do?  I'm 

sure  none  of  those  trade  people  will 

deliver  in  time.    What  did  you  plan 

to  give  us  to-day  Delia  ?" 

"Its  haah  ye'U  get  and  be  thankful" 
ses  I. 

"But  theres  no  cold  meat  aven"  ses 
she  in  disthress. 

"1*11  attind  to  that"  ses  I. 
"But  " 

"Now  ^  ere  Miss  Claire,  its  no 
time  I  ha>w  for  argying  wid  me  hands 
boorsting  wid  wark  this  maming.  Will 
you  be  going  or  shuU  I  ?" 

"WeU  Deha  deer"  ses  she  meekly, 
"If  you  can  make  aven  hash  out  of— 
nothing— c-cudent  you  just  cuwer  it  over 


80 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


wid  mashed  pertaters  and  brown  it  in  the 
uwen  ?   It  tastes  diffruntly  that  way." 

*'rU  see  about  it"  ses  I. 

"O  Delia!"  ses  Miss  Claire,  *'be  nice 
or  I  dont  see  how  I'll  dare  to  ask  a  speshtil 
favour  of  you." 

"Favour  is  it?"  ses  I  tooming  upon 
her.  She  roon  ap  to  me,  and  befure 
I  can  shpake  anuther  word,  shes  got 
her  arms  about  me. 

"Now  lissen  deer"  ses  she.  "I've 
finished  me  floury  hidge  and  this  after- 
noon I  must  shtart  on  the  beds.  You 
do  the  digging  for  me  like  an  ai^pel" 
ses  she. 

*' Digging  is  it?  Do  you  tak  me 
for  " 

"  Please,  please"  ses  she. 

"It  depinds  intirely  on  how  the  loonch 
goes"  ses  I  gruffly.  "Now  raymimber 
not  wan  ward  of  crittersickem  will  I 
be  heering  to." 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  81 

"Not  wan  word"  ses  she. 
After  she  had  gone  I  dischuTreied 
that  there  was'nt  a  speck  of  tea  in  the 

house  and  exactly  three  co.<Tee  beens 
oanly.  I  wint  upshstairs  speshully  to 
infarm  Miss  Claire.  "Be  careful  now" 
ses  I  "to  ignoar  the  subject.  Lit  your 
gests  think  ye've  foigotten  the  biverage." 

All  wint  well  for  loonch,  till  Mr. 
James»  soospecting  the  thruth,  onder- 
took  to  refer  to  me  hash  as  "patty  de 
4  grass  a  la  Delia"  a  dish  ses  he  of  our 
Delia's  own  invinshun.  I  guy  wan 
look  at  Miss  Claire,  and  she  changed 
the  subject.  Thin  Mrs.  Wolley  asked 
the  lady  which  she  wud  have — coffee 
or  tee,  and  before  the  unforchnit  cray- 
chure  cud  answer  I  spoke  up  at  wance: 

"Ye'Ugetneyther"sesI. 

Miss  Claire  at  wance  requisted  me 
to  bring  on  sum  more  "snow  hash." 
Wid  that  me  last  bit  of  payshunce  wint. 


8t      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

for  theres  not  anuther  speck  of  the  stuff 

to  be  had. 

"Do  ye  think"  ses  I  "that  wan  can 
of  potted  ham  will  feed  a  large  family 
to  more  than  wan  sarve  a  peece?" 

"Potted  ham!**  ses  Mr.  James,  for- 
gitting  himself  and  the  company. 

"Potted  ham!"  ses  I,  "for  its  no  meet 
in  the  house  at  all  we*re  after  having, 
and  shure  the  potted  stuff  is  good  enuff 
for  you."  Wid  that  I  wint  into  the 
pantry  and  got  the  can  and  tuk  it  into 
the  dining-room  and  showed  it  to  the 
silent  family. 

"Is  it  misdoubting  me  .word  ye  are" 
ses  I.  "  Then  see  for  yersilves."  And 
I  showed  them  the  can  wid  its  pretty 
ligind:  "Guwymint  inspeckshun." 

Mr.  James  got  up  and  left  the  room 
Mr.  Wolley,  groonting  followed. 

"Excuse  me!"  ses  I  and  walked  out 
also. 


THE   DIARY   OF  DELIA  83 


Felling  a  bit  sorry  for  the  unfor<  linit 
family  I  got  riddy  a  foine  dinner,  and 
was  after  rolling  me  pie  paste  when 
Miss  Claire  cum  in  and  coxed  me  into 
going  wid  her  to  the  gardin.  She  put 
me  to  wark  digging  a  hole  in  the  dnter 
of  the  illygunt  Ion,  frish  cut  by  Mr. 
James.  "The  boys  have  gone  bath- 
ing'* ses  she,  "papa's  out  driving  and 
mama's  aslape.  Nows  our  chance.  O 
Delia  how  forchnit  it  is  our  gests  didn't 
stay  for  dinner  too." 

Thin  she  left  me,  and  wint  over  to 
her  floury  hidge,  whare  she  neels  down 
and  looks  at  the  airth.  All  of  a  sudden 
she  guv  a  little  cry: 

"Cum  quick  Delia!"  Ses  sbr  "Cuil 
quick." 

I  rooshed  over  wid  me  ho,  thinking 
theres  a  snake  or  tode  in  the  grass. 

"Look!"  ses  Miss  Claire,  trimbling 
wid  ^citement. 


84       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

"  What !   Where  is  the  craychure  ?  " 

"There!  See,  its  me  hedge!"  ses 
she.  "O  Delia  its  the  first  showmg. 
In  a  little  wile  it*ll  grow  bigger  and  bigger, 
and  by  and  by  therell  be  flours — beauties. 
And  I"  ses  she  "did  it  all  mesilf— wid 
these  hands.  Don't  you  see  it-— that 
little  speck  of  grane." 

"  Sorrer  a  bit  do  I  see  darlint"  ses  I. 

"Why  Delia!  Its  there  oonless  me 
eyes  deeave  me." 

"They  don't"  ses  a  bold  voice  boldly, 
and  the  dood  nixt  door  lanes  over  the 
fince  and  stares  sintimintuUy  at  the 
spot  where  Miss  Claire  is  poynti>ig. 
She  guv  a  little  start  and  blushed.  Then 
she  arsks  sarcarskuUy : 

*'May  I  arsk  if  you  can  see  it  at  that 
distunce  ?" 

"Certainly"  ses  he  at  wunce,  "but 
1  belave  I  cud  see  it  better  if  I  cam  a 
httle  nearer."      Wid  that  he  joomps 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


85 


over  the  fince  and  walks  to  where  Miss 

Claire  is  neeling.  Together  they  look 
at  the  airth. 

"Bully  for  you!"  ses  he  offering  to 
shake  the  hand  which  she  holds  back 
timidly.  "Why"  ses  he  "its— its  a— 
a  rose,  is'nt  it?"  ses  he. 

"No"  ses  Miss  Claire  withdroring  the 
hand  she  had  joost  surrindered.  "Its 
a  hullyhock"  ses  she. 

"Well  its  fine  anyhow"  ses  he,  looking 
at  her  wid  both  his  eyes  popping  out 
of  his  hed.  "Youre  quite  a  horty  cul- 
churist"  ses  he. 

"O  no  indade"  ses  she,  "its  me 
first  attimp.  Do  you"  ses  she  "know 
anything  about  it  ?" 

**WeH"  ses  he  "I  can  tell  a  vylct 
from  a  rose  and  a  dandylion  from  a 
daysy." 

"Then"  ses  she,  "you  wont  be  in- 
trested  in  my  little  gardin. " 


86 


THE   DIARY   OF  DELIA 


"Wont  I"  ses  he,  so  vylently  she 
drops  her  eyes.  "Why  I'm  ackshully 
captifated  by  that  little  speck  of  green" 
ses  he.    "Aren't  you  its  creator?" 

"Wate  till  it  begins  to  bloom"  ses  she 
enthoosicuUy.  Joost  thin  she  seen  her 
brothers  coming  in  wid  the  bote  oars  on 
their  shouk!ers.  She  started  away  from 
the  dood,  and  wint  narvissly  to  meet  thim. 
The  dood  histated  a  moment,  and  then 
wint  ap  to  the  boys.  He  hild  out  his 
hand. 

"I'm  your  next  dure  naybor"  ses 
he  "and  I  drapped  over  to  make  a 
corl." 

"How  do"  ses  Mr.  James  giving 
him  a  corjul  shake  "Pretty  good  bathing 
here"  ses  he  "Ever  go  out?" 

"O  yes"  ses  the  dood  "We  have  a 
little  privit  beech  of  our  own.  Your 
welcom  to  use  it  any  time." 

Mr.  James  frowned. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  87 

"The  public  beech  is  good  enuff" 
ses  he  shortly,  but  Mr.  John  ses  at 
wance : 

"Thank  you  I'll  thiy  your  place  sum 
day." 


I 


CHAPTER  XIV 

ANOTHER  DAT 

"  TAMES"  ses  Mr.  WoUey  coming  into 
*^    brekfust  at  an  oonexpected  airly 
our  "you're  a  frord  and  raskill  sir" 
ses  he. 

The  family  all  looked  startled. 

"Yes  sir"  ses  his  father  sturnly  "ye*ve 
been  deceiving  your  sister  shamefully. 
You  have  been  practicing  a  frord.  I 
happened"  ses  he  turning  to  the  rist 
of  the  family  "to  awaken  airly  this 
marning  and  going  to  the  window  to 
pull  down  the  shade  I  saw  a  man  ingaged 
in  cutting  the  Ions.  Congrachulating 
mesilf  on  the  possession  of  such  an  in- 
dustiyiss  and  paynestaking  sun,  I  corled 
to  the  fellow,  who  thereupon  looked  up. 
He  was  a  sworthy  faced  working  man 


90 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


— an  Italyun.  There  Claire"  ses  he 
"is  the  sacred  of  your  brothers  well 
cut  Ions." 

"Jimmy!"  ses  Miss  Claire  reproach- 
fully. 

He  puts  his  hands  into  his  pants  pocket 

and  thrys  to  look  indiffrunt. 

"I  ordered  the  feller  off  the  grounds" 
continued  her  father  "for  I  was  de- 
tarmined  that  no  sun  of  mine  shud  shirk 
his  respunsibilities  in  that  shameliss 
fashun.  Sir"  ses  he,  turning  upon 
Mr.  James,  "you'll  be  good  enuff  to 
resoom  the  cutting  of  the  Ions  after 
brekfust." 

For  wance  Mr.  James  was  silent. 
He  et  his  brekfust  widout  opening  his 
mouth  wance. 


CHAPTER  XV 


ANOTHER  DAT 

A LITTLE  widder  who  lives  across 
the  rode  cum  to-day  to  call  upon 
the  family.  She  brung  along  wid  her 
a  yung  thing  swate  enuff  to  ate.  They 
cum  driving  up  behind  a  pare  of  spank- 
ing horses  and  drov  up  under  the  port 
coshare.  Mr.  James  was  cutting  his 
milincoly  Ion,  and  he  niver  looked  up 
at  all. 

Tlie  younger  one  called  to  him  swately. 

"Will  you  hold  the  horses,  plase." 

Mr.  James  pushed  back  his  hat  and 
glared  like  he  wad  bite  her. 

"I  beg  your  pardin"  ses  she  and  the 

widder  begins  to  larf  and  closed  up 

her  parrysol.      Joost  then  Mr.  John 

cum  round  from  the  back  of  the  house. 

•1 


9«       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

He  lucks  very  straynge  and  funny,  being 
in  overalls,  his  spicticles  poysed  on  the 
tip  of  his  nose,  his  hair  standing  opp 
where  his  fingers  have  been  running 
through  it.  Its  a  turrible  tax  the  poor 
gintleman  has  been  doing.  Shure  hes 
been  all  day  digging  up  the  seeds 
which  I  carefully  mixed  and  planted. 
The  ladies  in  the  carriage  try  to  stop 
larfing  and  the  yunger  one  joomps 
out. 

"Is  Mrs.  Wolley  at  home"  ses  she. 

Miss  Claire  laves  her  floury  hidge 
and  dood,  and  wint  running  forward, 
wid  her  little  muddy  hands  hild  out. 
I  seesed  hauid  of  an  aprun  on  the  line 
and  tied  it  on  me.  Thin  I  wInt  to  anser 
the  dure.  Miss  Claire  is  leeding  them 
on  to  the  veranda. 

"Fm  Miss  Wolley"  ses  she,  "you 
find  us  all  ingaged  at  our  respictuf  toyle. 
My  brother  James  cuts  the  grass,  John's 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  93 

the  vigitable  gardiner,  and  I  rayse  swate 

flours  " 

"What  fun!"  ses  the  widder  clasp- 
ing her  hands,  "How  perfeckly  delitefuL 

It  mus  be  just  like  playing,  is'nt  it," 
and  she  turned  her  big  black  eyes  on 
Mr.  John. 

"Will  ye  walk  inside"  ses  I,  braking 
in  here,  "Mrs,  Wolley  will  be  down  in 
a  moment.  Shes  not  well,  but  she's 
for  seeing  you.  Joost  have  a  sect, 
she  ses." 

"O  lets  sit  out  here!"  ses  the  wid- 
der. "You  were  talking  of  your  gar- 
din?"  ses  she  turning  to  Mr.  John 
wid  a  smile. 

«« — er  yes"  ses  he.  "But  I'm  a  mere 
noviss.  Do  you  understand  anything 
about  the  art?" 

"Do  I?"  ses  she,  sitting  in  the  saft- 
est  veranda  chare,  "Why  I've  a  reppy- 
tashun  in  the  Poynt  for  me  vigitibles. 


M       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

Have*nt  I  Una?'*  and  she  appealed  to 
her  frind,  who  has  just  infarmed  Mr. 
James  that  sumtimes  she  cuts  her  papa's 
Ions  wid  her  own  fare  hands,  jest  for 
exsysise. 

"Yes"  ses  Miss  Una,  nodding  her 
pretty  hed,  **Why'*  ses  she  *'theres  a 
sertin  kind  of  turnip  nown  to  fame  as 
The  Widdy  Jane." 

"Una!"  ses  the  widder  larfing,  "but 
relly"  ses  she  turning  back  to  Mr. 
John  agin  "I  manage  my  own  little 
farm  all  mesilf." 

I  let  Mrs.  WoUey  out  thru  the  fly 
dure  and  thin  the  auld  gintleman  wint 
out,  also  wid  his  face  red  and  shinuig 
from  the  quick  shave  he*s  given  it. 
They  all  torked  and  larfed  and  thin 
finuUy  got  up  .o  go.  Thin  Miss  Claire 
asks  carelessly. 

"And  hoo  are  our  naybours  on  this 
side  ?"  and  she  intercated  the  doods  place. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


06 


"Have'nt  they  called  on  you  yet" 
arsks  the  widder. 

Mtf.  Woiley  frowned  a  bit,  but  Miss 
Claire  ses  swateiy: 

'*Oh  yes  one  of  the  suns  called." 

"One  of  the  suns!'*  ses  the  widder, 
"Why  Harry's  the  only  child.  Una 
here,"  ses  she,  smiling  "can  tell  you  all 
about  him." 

"I!"  ses  Miss  Una,  opening  her  brown 
eyes  wide,  "O  yes"  ses  she  "Harry  and 
I  yused  to  be  sweet  on  aich  other  sen- 
turies  ago.  Hes  a  deer  boy"  ses  she, 
"and  you'll  meet  his  mother  soon  I 
suppose,  and  old  S.  Judd  Dudley." 

Mr.  Wolley  and  Mr.  James  both 
bounced  up  in  their  sects.  The  auld 
gintleman  conthrolled  himsilf. 

"Pardon  me,  my  deer"  ses  he  "but 
did  I  oonderstand  you  to  say  our  nay- 
bour's  name  was  Dudley — S.  Judd  Dud- 
ley?" 


06       THE   DIARY  OF  DELIA 


"Yes"  ses  she  "the  famiss  S.  Judd. 
Youve  herd  of  him  of  coorse." 

"I  have"  ses  Mr.  WoUey  slowly,  and 
the  hole  family  looked  at  aich  uther 
strayngely. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


A  WEEK  LATEB 

'T^HE  curse  of  true  love"  ses  Miss 
Claire  mornfully  "never  did  run 
smoothly.  O  Delia"  ses  she  "I  wish  I 
were  ded!" 

"Whats  the  thrubble.  dariint?"  ses 
I  stopping  me  wark  for  a  moment. 

"Dont  you  know?'*  she  arsks. 

"Why  no  darling.  Do  you  think 
Fm  at  the  kayhole  (Ul  the  time?" 

She  Urfed  a  bit  throo  her  teers.  Then 
she  set  down,  and  put  her  chin  on  her 
little  hand. 

"Delia"  ses  she  "do  you  know  I  havent 
spoken  to  Mr.  Dudley  for  a  week." 

'  My  God  miss"  ses  I,  "are  you  cut- 
ting the  lad?" 

She  nods  her  hed  sadly. 

97 


•8       THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

"The  poor  lad!"  ses  I  "and  he  do 
be  wayting  for  you  ivery  day  at  the 
floury  hidge." 

"Papa  wont  let  me  go  neer  it"  ses  she 
wid  a  sob. 

"Then  why  dussent  the  yung  spalpeen 
cum  to  the  house  thin  ?'*  ses  I  indigantly. 

"He  did"  ses  she  "twice — and — and 
James  insoolted  him.  "  O  Delia"  ses 
she,  and  hid^s  her  face  in  her  hands. 

I  drors  her  into  me  arms  and  pets 
her  like  a  babby,  while  she  poars  out 
into  me  sympatetic  eers  her  thrubbles. 

"Vou  know  Delia"  ses  she  "papa 
yused  to  be  professer  of  mathymatucks 
at  Logua  Yunyversity.  Well  last  win- 
ter James  began  that  orful  muck  rake 
riting.  It  seems  Mr.  Dudley  had  given 
a  grate  many  chares'  to  Logun  Yuny- 
versity." 

"Chares  darlint?  For  the  lads  to 
set  upon?" 


THE  DIARY   OF  DELIA  09 

"No  Delia — but  it  dussent  matter. 
Anyhow  he  was  a  grate  power  in  papa's 
colluge.  Well  James  began  exposing 
millynairs  in  the  magazines  and  papers 
and  by  and  by  rote  a  powerful  artuckle 
on  tinted  munney.  He  sed  orful  things 
of  Mr.  Dudley  who  wint  clane  crazy 
about  it.  You  see  he  loved  to  pose  as 
a  bennyfactory  to  his  cuntry  and  James 
had  shown  him  as  he  was.  It  wassent 
papa's  folt  but  Mr.  Dudley  revinged 
himself  on  papa.  He  got  the  thrustees 
to  ask  for  papa's  assignashun  and 
now  papa  joins  with  James  in  think- 
ing him  the  gratest  rarseal  of  the  time. 
So  you  can  see  Delia"  ses  she,  her 
lips  trimbling  "that  nachully  they 
hafnt  much  3ruse  for  Harry,  and — and 
they've  forbidden  me  to  speak  to  him 
again." 

"You  poor  lamb"  ses  I  "but  shure  if 
I  was  Mr.  Harry  I'd  find  a  way  to  see 


100      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


you  if  I  had  to  sneek  into  the  kitchen 
itself  to  do  it." 

"Delia!"  ses  she,  clutching  me  arm 
excitedly,  "What  an  idear!  Oh  Delia" 
ses  she  "Why  not?" 


CHAPTER  XVn 


ANOTHER  DAT 

WROTE  a  letter  to-day  to  me  frind 
Minnie    Camavan   asking  her 
advise.   It  were  as  follows: 

Deer  Minnie;  I  hope  you  are  well 
as  this  laves  me  at  prisint.  Its  a  long 
time  since  I  seen  yer  swate  face,  but 
wid  the  wark  of  a  family  of  six  to  do, 
besides  helping  Mr.  James  to  cut  the 
Ions,  Mr.  John  to  plant  the  gardin, 
whitewashing  of  the  chicken  coop  for 
Mrs.  WoUey,  I*m  clane  doon  up  whin 
nite  cums.  But  theres  anuther  kind 
of  wark  I*m  lately  doin^,  and  being  its 
what  mite  be  called  mind  wark  me  nerves 
ar  b^inning  to  thntbble  me  and  whin 
annyone  spakes  to  me  at  all  I  shtart 
upp  like  a  thafe  cort  at  a  crime.  Its 
minny  a  day  since  I  wint  to  confesshun 
and  me  mind  is  deeply  thrubbled  wid 
the  thort  that  the  praste  will  refuse  me 
absilooshun. 

m 


102 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


The  thruth  of  the  matter  be  that  I*m 
helping  a  dorter  decave  her  luving  parents. 
Its  2  weeks  now  since  I  begun  to  let 
Mr.  Harry  in  at  the  back  dure.  Me 
foine  privit  dining-room  which  Miss  Claire 
had  told  me  was  for  me  to  sit  in  alone 
is  occupyed  in  the  avening  excloosively 
by  Miss  Claire  and  her  bow.  To  add 
to  me  minny  kares  the  child  requires 
me  to  chappyrong  her  as  shes  after 
calling  it.  And  so  ivry  nite  there  I 
sits  in  me  kitchen  drapping  aslape  some- 
times wid  me  hed  on  the  table. 

Its  hard  on  a  poor  sole,  and  on  me 
Thirsdays  and  Soondays  out  the  yung 
crachures  do  be  bigging  me  to  stay  at 
home,  she  wid  her  coaxing  words  and 
he  wid  his  everlasting  munney.  Shure 
its  ritch  I'm  getting  wid  five  dollars 
here  and  the  tin  dollars  there. 

Now  Minnie  deer,  rite  me  a  swate 
letter  at  wunse  and  tell  me  what  to  do. 

The  family  do  e  soospecting  nuthing, 
for  Mr.  Wolley  seems  to  have  sum 
sacred  thrubble  of  his  own.  After 
Mrs.  Wolley  gets  to  bed  at  ate  (she  being 
a  sufferer  from  insomnear  ivery  nite)  I 
seen  Mr.  Wolley  sneeking  out  of  the 
house,  like  he  was  after  going  out  for 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


lOS 


some  meeness,  and  she  his  lorful  wife 
innersent  and  unsoospecting  and  he  an 
old  man  wid  four  grown  luvly  children. 

The  widder  across  the  rode  to  be  roon- 
ing  after  Mr.  John  and  ivery  nite  hes  aff 
to  talk  wid  her  about  her  preshus  vigi- 
tibles,  and  wud  ye  belave  it  Minnie 
di-rlint  she  do  be  sinding  over  messes 
ivery  day  from  her  gardin  "samples" 
she  calb  thim  "of  me  own  raysine.' 

Mr.  James  do  be  crazy  wid  luv  for 
Miss  Una  Robbins  but  the  poor  lad  do 
he  making  himsilf  that  oonhappy  a 
body  dare  not  spake  to  him  at  all  at  all. 
You  see  the  girl  do  be  a  magnut's  dor- 
ter and  Mr.  James  is  that  set  against  all 
magnuts  hes  beside  himsilf  wid  rage. 
Ah  Minnie  this  do  be  a  straynge  bit 


there  be  two  bold  lads.  Wan  is  very 
fine  and  ijjicated.     He's  Frinch — a  ex- 

Eert  shoffer  as  he  ses.  Its  the  hite  of 
is  ambition  so  he  told  me  a  few  days 
sinse  whin  I  be  hanging  out  me  clothes 
to  own  a  small  coontry  shop  for  orter- 
mobiles,  "Boot**  ses  he  "it  taks  money 
to  buy  aven  a  modust  little  place/*  ana 
arsks  me  carelessly  whether  J  be  of 


of  coontry  wid  i 
aich  uther.  Ov< 


bod 


lov  wid 


104      THE, DIARY   OF  DELIA 

the  savii^  kind  of  girl.  "Why  musser" 
ses  I  "fis  $700  Iv've  poot  away  in 
the  bank  for  me  auld  age."  ''Mon 
joor!"  ses  he,  gaping  at  me,  and  it  was 
just  thin  I  made  the  acquintunce  of  the 
other  lad.  Hes  a  grate  rude  spalpeen, 
and  he's  after  being  in  charge  of  the 
Dudley  stables,  so  he  tells  me,  ilbowing 
the  perlite  Frinchman  aside. 

"Good  manning!"  ses  he  "I  see  yure 
new  round  these  parts,  or  you  wouidnt 
be  after  spal^mg  wid  the  Frinchy." 

I  confess  Minnie  I  was  thruly  ashamed 
of  the  manner  of  the  au!d  cuntry  when 
I  seen  the  diffrunce  betwane  the  axshuns 
of  museer  and  the  other  \ran.  I  toomed 
a  face  of  scorn  upon  the  latter,  picked 
up  me  baskit  and  marched  aff  in  dudgin. 

I'll  be  closing  me  letter  now,  hoping 
your  hilth  is  good  as  this  leaves  me  at 
prisint. 


CHAPTER  XVra 


TWO  DATO  LATER 

T  ARST  nite  whin  the  intire  family 
had  retired  for  there  hard  aimed 
slape  there  cum  a  wild  ringing  at  the 
dure  bell.  I  herd  it  first  in  me  slape 
and  yells  in  frite,  thinking  of  bound- 
ing nites  and  burglars.  I  opened  me 
dure  and  stuck  me  hed  out.  The  hole 
family  were  assimbled  in  the  lower  hall  in 
their  nite  gowns.  Mr.  John  called  up  to  me : 
"Delia!"  seshe,"wud  ye  plaseansser 
the  bell." 

"I  will  not"  ses  I.  "Do  you  tak 
;  .   for  a  gump!" 

'  rheres  somewan  at  the  dure"^ses 
Miss  Claire  swately,  "The  boys  arent 
drissed  and  nayther  am  I.  Run  along 
Delia." 

105 


106     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

"I'm  dummed  if  I  do*'  ses  I  wid  in- 
digation. 

"Oh'shaw"  ses  Mr.  James,  *'what 
fools  we  mortals  be.  Whares  me  re- 
volver?" ses  he.  "I'll  go,"  and  whistling 

down  he  desinds.  We  heer  his  voyce 
shouting  at  the  closed  door: 

"Who's  there?" 

"Whatsthat?" 

"Who?" 

"A  tillygram?" 

"One  minute,"  and  he  opened  the 
dure. 

"  Who's  it  for  ?"  arsks  the  intire  family 
at  wanse. 

"Delia!"  ses  he,  and  the  family  larfing 
wint  to  there  rooms. 

"Put  it  on  the  bottom  stip  darlint" 
ses  I,  "and  get  out  of  site  if  you 
plaze." 

I  wint  down  and  got  the  paper.  It 
was  as  follows: 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


107 


"Coming  at  wanse.  The  saints  pro- 
tick  you  darlint  in  the  manewile.  Min- 


This  marning  whin  I  clared  aff  the 
brikfust  dishes  I  fownd  a  letter  oonder 
Mr.  Wolley's  chare,  which  dishthressed 
me  badly.     It  were  as  follows: 

Deer  sir: 

Do  not  fail  to  come  to  night  early 
as  Miss  Flyte  needs  attention  J.  B. 

I  in'  'ed  to  hand  the  dummed  thing 
back  to  x%xr.  WoUey  spaking  at  the  same 
time  me  humble  but  contemshus  opinyon 
of  an  auld  simmer  like  himself  wid  a 
luvly  lorful  wife  and  4  preshus  children 
of  his  own.  But  after  breakfust  Mr. 
Wolley  wint  out  and  I  sor  him  not  agin 
till  nite.  At  tin  Minnie  arrived.  She 
was  all  exsitement. 

"Now  tell  me  widout  words"  ses  die 


108 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


"what  divilmint  the  family  has  been  oop 
to." 

"Divilment"  ses  I  brideling  "shure 
its  a  swate  family  they  be.     Its  ashamed 

I  am  to  heer  you  spaking  langwidge 
aginst  an  innersint  and  luvly  family 
like  the  WoUeys." 

**Ah  go  wan*'  ses  Minnie.  *'Whats 
the  auld  spalpeen  been  up  to  larst." 

"If  ye  mane  Mr.  Wolley"  ses  I  coldly, 
"then  its  a  sore  subjeck  yeve  tooched. 
O  Minnie"  ses  I  "the  auld  gintleman 
is  a  baste." 

Minnie  like  to  ate  me  opp  wid  hunger 
for  some  more  words  upon  th^  subjeck. 

I  tuk  out  the  letter  and  handed  it  to 
her  widout  further  words.  She  red  it 
throo  widout  spaking,  but  I  seen  her 
mouth  and  eyes  popping  wid  exsite- 
mint. 

Joost  thin  Mrs.  Wolley  walks  inner- 
sintly  into  me  ^tchin.     She  has  sum 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  100 

fine  lace  in  her  hand,  and  she  ses :  Lind 
me  your  ironing  bord  Delia.  I*m  doing 
these  oop  mesilf."  Joost  thin  she  seen 
Minnie,  and  she  smiles  swately — ^'Ah  is 
this  a  frind  of  yours,  Delia  ?'*  ses  she. 

Minnie  got  oop.  I  seen  her  studying 
the  poor  crachure  for  a  moment,  and  then 
suddintly  she  walked  oop  to  her  and 
hild  out  the  letter. 

'*I  belave  ma^o"  ses  she  "that  this 
will  intrust  you." 

"What  is  it?**  ses  tht  madam,  put- 
ting on  her  glarses. 

"Its  a  letter  mam**  ses  Minnie  "to 
yere  hoosband." 

I  seen  her  reed  it  throe,  and  aven 
then  she  had  not  grasped  the  meaning 
of  the  avil  minded  crachure*s  words,  till 
Ihe  latter  spoke  oop  agin: 

"Are  you  a  dummy?*'  asks  Minnie, 
"Dont  you  see  what  yere  auld  man  is 
after  being  oop  to.     Delia  here*'  ses 


110      THE   DIARY   OF  DELIA 

she  *'uuienintly  remarked  about  his 
sneeking  out  at  nite  to  mate  anuther 
female.  The  paper  there  reveels  the 
auld  man*s  inamoreeta." 

I  thort  the  auld  lady  wud  faynt.  She 
toomed  white  as  milk,  and  I  seen  the 
paper  shaking  «n  her  hand  like  she  had 
the  ague.  But  wid  out  condisinding 
a  ward  to  eyther  Minnie  or  mesilf  she 
wint  out  the  kitchen  and  upstares. 

"Miss  Camavan*'  ses  I,  biling  over 
wid  rage,  *'theres  a  trane  laving  widin 
tin  minits.  Yell  have  piinty  of  time  to 
catch  it.'* 

Minnie  smiled. 

"Delia  darlint"  ses  she  "did  you 
think  I'd  be  after  thravelling  sixty  miles 
to  visit  you  for  harf  an  our?  No  dar- 
lint"  ses  she  "I've  brot  me  bag  along 
and  I'll  be  wid  you  for  a  fortnite  yet." 

"That  you  wont"  ses  I,  "for  its 
your  bag  will  be  out  in  the  cinter  of 


THE   DIARY  OF  DELIA 


111 


the  strate  and  yersilf  will  follow  in  a 
sicond.** 

Minnie  faulded  her  arms  and  fixed 
me  wid  a  look  of  power  and  scorn. 

"Delia  Omally"  ses  she  "the  day 
you  toom  your  best  frind  out  into  the 
strate**  ses  she  "will  be  your  last. 
Trate  me**  ses  she  **in  anny  way 
save  as  a  perfeck  lady  and  I'll  publish 
yere  letter  on  the  housetops/' 

It  cum  upon  me  then  that  like  the 
foolish  loonytick  I  be  I'd  put  mesilf  in 
Minnie's  power. 

**0  wirrah,  wirrah,  wirrah!"  I  cryed 
throwing  me  aprun  over  me  bed. 

"Dont  be  after  making  a  foo?  of  yer- 
silf'*  ses  Minnie,  "Have  sinse,  Delia 
mavoumeen.  Here  I  am,  and  here 
I  stav." 

At  loonch  Mr.  James  and  John  et 
there  meel  alone.  Mrs.  Wolley  and  Miss 
Claire  were  locked  up  in  the  bed  room. 


m      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


During  the  meel  the  gintlemen  spake  not 
at  all,  save  wanse  thin  Mr.  John  sed: 

*'Tak  sum  loonch  upstares  to  mother 
and  Claire,  Delia"  ses  he,  and  thin  after 
a  moment:  '*Get  that  woman  out  of  the 
house"  ses  he  "as  quickly  as  possible." 

"And  Delia"  puts  in  Mr.  James,  con- 
throlling  his  nachelly  loud  voyse,  "kape 
your  mouth  shut" 

"Yes  sor"  ses  I. 

Mr.  WoUey  did  not  turn  up  again 
aven  for  dinner,  and  the  hole  family, 
wid  the  ixsipshun  of  the  madum  et  in 
silense.  Miss  Claire's  eyes  looked  red, 
and  I  seen  her  lips  were  trimbling,  as 
tho  she  cud  skursely  kape  the  teers 
back.  She  cum  downstares  after  the 
meel,  and  wispers  in  me  eer: 

"Heres  a  note  for  Mr.  Dudley  when 
he  cams.  I — I  wont  be  home  to-nite 
Delia"  ses  she  wistfully. 

"Whare  are  you  going  darlint." 


THE   DIARY   OF  DELIA 


118 


"To  look  for  father "ses  she.  "O  Delia'* 
ses  she,  **I'm  afrade  sumething  dredful 
is  about  to  happen." 

"Let  me  go  wid  yon  darlinl'*  »es  I. 

"But — the  letter?  *  sec  she,  "some- 
wan  must  give  it  to  Mr.  Dudley." 

"I'll  be  plazed  to  do  it"  spoke  up 
Minnie  at  wanse. 

She  looked  at  Minnie  misdoutfully. 
Thin  she  wint  up  to  her  and  quitely 
guv  her  the  note. 

"FU  trust  you  then!"  ses  she  to  the 
crachure. 

About  sivin  in  the  avening  the  hole 
family,  including  meself  set  out  from 
the  house  for  17  Arch  Strate,  which  is 
the  number  on  the  letter  paper.  Mr. 
John  and  Mr.  James  walked  on  eyther 
side  there  puir  mother,  haulding  her  up 
by  the  arms,  while  Miss  Claire  and  I 
carried  hankychiffs  and  smilling  salts. 
By  and  by  we  cam  to  the  place*  a  little 


lU      THE   DIARY   OF  DELIA 

auld  barn  setting  up  aginst  the  side 
walk.  The  family  guv  a  look  at  the 
noomber  and  thin  walked  boldly  in 
widout  nocking.  There  were  a  noysy 
lot  of  men  inside.  A  little  greesy  fellow 
in  overalls  cum  sontering  up  to  Mr.  John. 

"What  can  I  do  for  you  ?*'  ses  he. 

Mr.  James  ansers  befure  his  brother 
can  spake. 

"Is  Mr.  Wolley  here  ?"  ses  he  bloontly. 

"Shure"  ses  the  man  "he's  over  there 
wid  Miss  Flyte"  ses  he. 

Mrs.  Wolley  stepped  forward,  her  eyes 
popping  out  wid  anger. 

"Where?"  ses  she  in  such  a  horty 
tone  the  man  stared  at  her  wid  surprise. 

"There!"  ses  he,  and  poynts  across 
the  bam.  "Hes  having  a  bit  of  trubble 
wid  the  auld  lady"  ses  he. 

We  wint  across  the  barn,  but  see 
nothing  but  wan  of  thim  red  tooring 
cars.     We've  cum  close  to  the  orter- 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  115 


mobile  whin  Mr.  James  makes  a  dis- 
cuvery.  Theres  sumwan  lying  under- 
nathe  the  masheen.  He's  hammering 
on  sumthing,  and  theres  a  lited  lantern 
on  the  fluie  beside  him.  Just  as  the 
discuvery  was  made,  Mr.  John  like- 
wise seen  the  feet;  then  Miss  Claire  recky- 
nised  her  papa's  boots  and  me  his  hat. 
Mrs.  WoUey  nelt  down  and  looked  under 
the  masheen.   Then  she  guv  a  scrame. 

"Charles?"  ses  she  and  almost  faints. 
Mr.  Wolley  cum  crorling  frum  under- 
nathe  the  ortermobile.  He  looks  a  site, 
wid  his  face  cuwered  clane  wid  dirt  and 
his  hands  dripping  down  wid  greese. 

He  guv  a  look  about  him,  seen  us  all, 
and  drapped  his  mouth  open  wid  aston- 
ishment. Joost  then  Mr.  James  burst 
out  larfing,  and  the  hole  blessed  family 
joyned  in. 

"You  dummed  old  frord"  ses  Mr. 
James. 


116     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


•*What  do  you  meen  sor?"  ses  Mr. 
Wolley. 

"Whares  Miss  Flyte?"  asks  Mr.  John. 

The  auld  fellow  looked  sheepish,  and 
he  guv  a  look  back  at  the  ortermobile. 

"Well,  ye  may  as  well  no  the  thruth" 
ses  he,  **Ive  made  a  good  invistmint. 
I*ve  bort  Miss  Flyte.  She's  a  ginooine 
bargin,  better  than  anny  Frinch  imported 
car,  and  at  quarter  the  price.  I've 
been  coming  avenings  to  lem  how  to  run 
and  understand  her.  Isn't  she  a  booty  ?" 
ses  he,  turning  to  his  new  infachuation. 

Mrs.  Wolley  guv  a  little  sob,  then  she 
run  tord  him  jest  like  a  child,  and  he 
guv  her  a  kiss,  and  then  helped  her 
clime  into  the  masheen. 

"There's  room  for  six"  ses  he.  "All 
aboord.     We'll  tak  Miss  Flyte  home." 


CHAPTER  XIX 


NEXT  DAY 


N  OTERMOBILE"  ses  Mr.  Wolley 


■i-  ^  at  the  brekfustt  able  **is  the  vee- 
hicle  of  the  moduns.  Its  a  boom  to 
soofering  yumanity  in  this  yumid  and 
turribly  trying  and  hot  summers  of  this 
clirnut.  In  my  opinyon"  ses  he,  "its 
the  greatest  of  modun  invinshuns.  Dont 
interrupt  James"  ses  he,  turning  upon 
Mr.  James,  who  was  snickering  noysily, 
"I  confess"  ses  Mr.  Wolley  "that  I  was 
want  sometime  ago  to  curse  the  horseliss 
vehicle,  but  times  are  changed"  ses  he, 
"and  we  who  wish  to  kape  step  wid 
the  times  must  grow  wid  it.  A  noter- 
mobile  is  a  cooltivated  taste  its  like 
olives.  Whin  first  tasted  we  detist  its 
flavour,  but  having  thryed  it  wanse  or 


117 


118      THE   DIARY   OF  DELIA 


twioe  we  becum  its  ardint  slaves.  Jimmy" 
ses  he  "pass  me  anuther  musk  melon. 
John  cr — whats  the  news  this  marning?" 

"  O  nothing  par"  ses  Mr.  John  grinning 
behind  his  paper.  "Our  rickliss  pressy« 
dint  is  waring  pink  pyjamas  and  Roosel 
Sage  is  ded." 

.\s  I  was  coming  down  the  steps  lead- 
ing from  the  oopstares  to  the  bastemint, 
who  should  I  see,  standing  outside  me 
kitchen  door,  but  Mr.  Moolvaney.  The 
gintleman  has  his  face  aginst  the  closed 
dure,  and  hes  after  serrynading  the  lady 
inside — namely,  me  warm  frind  Minnie 
Carnavan,  wid  the  foiling  sinseliss  milody. 
I  shstood  still  on  the  stares  to  lissen: 

"In  Dublin's  fair  city 
The  girls  are  so  pretty 
I  wanse  laid  me  eyes 
On  Miss  Mdly  Malone, 
Who  wheeled  a  wheel  barrow 
The  streets  broad  and  narrow 
Of  cockles  and  mussels  alive,  alive,  Hoi 


THE   DIARY   OF   DELIA  119 

Alive,  alive.  Ho,  hoi 
Alive,  alive,  Ho,  ho! 
Of  cockles  and  miuwds 
Alive,  alive.  Hoi 

She  was  a  fish  monger 

But  shure  twas  no  wonder 

For  so  was  her  father  ana  mother  before 

And  thev  both  wheeled  a  barrow 

The  streets  broad  and  narrow 

Of  cockles  and  mussels  alive,  alive.  Hoi 

She  died  of  the  fever. 

Whin  no  wan  cud  save  her 

And  that  was  the  ind  of  Miss  Molly  Malone 

But  her  gost  wheels  her  barrow 

The  streets  Inroad  and  narrow 

CM  cockles  and  mussel  alive,  alive.  Ho! 

As  the  gintleman  finished  I  shtepped 
down  the  stares,  and  joost  thin  he 
toomed  about  and  seen  me  earning  tord 
hiin.     He  guv  a  shstart,  and  ses  he: 

"AVhy  Delia,  is  it  yersilf,  indade? 
Well^  well"  ses  he,  "and  shure  I  was 
after  thinking  it  was  yersilf  was  inside 
the  kitchin. " 


120      THE   DIARY  OF  DELIA 

I  condisinded  not  wan  ward,  but  I 
walked  into  me  kitchin,  past  the  false 
craychure,  and  I  shoot  the  dure  bang 
in  his  face.  Minnie's  seeted  on  a  chare, 
shsmiling  from  eer  to  eer. 

"Its  a  grand  voyse"  ses  she,  "I*m 
after  lissening  to.  Who  is  the  handsum 
gintleman  Delia  deer"  ses  she. 

Joost  thin  the  spaking  chube  rung  out 
and  I  wint  to  it  at  wanse,  and  shouted 
oop  at  the  tap  of  me  voyse: 

"I  refoose  to  ansswer!"  nd  wid  that 
I  shstopped  up  the  doomed  thing  wid 
me  dish  towel. 


CHAPTER  Xy 


A  WEEK  LATER 

TTS  been  a  week  of  sorrer  and  dis- 

-■-    thress  since  Minnie  Carnavan  cam 

to  visit  me.     Shure  theres  been  no  more 

peace  or  cumfort  in  me  brest.     She  do 

be  the  most  obstreprus  crachure  in  the 

warld,  shsticking  her  auld  nose  into 

iwrywan's  thrubbles  and    ristliss  and 

onhappy  widout  shes  making  mischiff. 

Ivery  nite  since  Minnie  cum  there  do 

be  thrubble  of  sum  sort. 

Shes  after  making  the  lives  of  the  poor 

yung  crachures  disthressful,  by  inter- 

feering  in  their  innersint  convysashun. 

Ivery  nite  whin  I  streches  out  me  weery 

tired  body  upon  me  bed  I  lissen  to  the 

words  of  Minnie. 

Mr.  Doodley  do  be  a  rascal  and  a 

isi 


128      THE   DIARY  OF  DELIA 

scallywag.  He  do  be  desining  to  rooin 
the  life  of  Miss  Claire.  Its  me  thats 
a  sinful  crachure  for  not  exposing  thim 
to  her  parents  and  brothers,  and  its  she 
Minnie  Camavan,  who  will  seek  counsil 
of  her  holy  father  confisser,  whos  no  wan 
but  hersilf.  Its  ny  to  busting  she  is 
wid  keeping  the  sacred  of  the  puir  yung 
crachures  love  affare,  and  its  tired  I  am 
wid  me  indliss  attimpts  to  conthrol  her. 
And  now  its  in  dred  and  feer  I  am  that 
something  dredful  is  about  to  happen. 

To-nite  whin  Minnie  was  lissening 
at  the  dure,  wid  her  eer  pricked  up 
aginst  the  keyhole  of  me  private  dyning- 
room,  Mr.  Dudley  suddenly  opens  the 
dure.  He  has  a  bottle  in  his  hand,  and 
as  he  opens  it  Minnie  falls  at  his  feet. 

"Is  there  a  cat  here?"  ses  he,  and 
shqirts  the  silzer  wather  in  her  face. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


FOLLOWING  DAY 

THIS  marning  whin  I  waked  I  mwted 
Minnie  Carnavan  at  me  sirle.  Sit- 
ting up  and  looking  about  me,  I  seen 
Minnie  seeted  at  me  table,  riting  a  litter. 
She  seen  me  whin  ^  set  up,  and  she 
faulded  oop  her  litter  ani  licked  'n-^ 
invilip. 

"Well  Minnie  Carnavan"  ses  I  "and 
what  are  you  up  to  at  this  unarthly  our  ?'* 
"Hoosh,  darlint!"  ses  she,  caming  to 
me  bed,  and  setting  demn  beade  me. 
"Delia"  ses  she  "I've  dua  it." 

"Dun  what?"  ses  I  and  I  begin  to 
have  misgivings. 

"I've  rote"  ses  Minnie  "to  the  auld 
gintlenu  n." 

To  Mr.  WoUey"  ses  I  a  bit  daft. 

128 


i 


124      THE   DIARY   OF  DELIA 


"No"  ses  she  shaking  her  hed.  "To 
the  lad's  father." 

For  a  minit  me  tung  faled  me.  I 
stared  at  the  crachure  in  silinse.  She 
got  ap  from  me  bed  and  sarched  about 
for  her  hat,  found  it  and  put  it  on. 

"Delia  O'Malley"  ses  she  "That  yung 
Dudley  fellow  do  be  fresh  as  sour 
milk"  ses  she.  "Its  been  on  me  con- 
shunse  iver  sinse  I  came,  mavoumeen, 
to  poonish  him  for  his  thricks.  Its 
desaving  the  pretty  Miss  Claire  hes  after 
oop  to.  Trust  an  auld  girl  like  Minnie 
Carnavan  to  see  throo  the  thricks  of  a 
yung  spalpeen  like  that." 

"Minnie"  ses  I  meekly,  for  theres 
a  feer  in  me  hart  that  maks  me  week 
as  a  kitten,  "Tell  me  the  truth  darlint. 
Be  you  going  to  male  a  litter  to  the  lad's 
father?" 

"Indade  and  I  am"  ses  Minnie  bauld- 
ly,  "and  to  mak  shure"  ses  she  "that 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  125 

the  old  dude  gets  it  safely,  I'll  be  me 
own  postman  and  deliver  it  in  person. 
Goodbye  Delia  mavoameen,  I'll  not  be 
coming  back.  Give  me  luv  to  Mr. 
Mulvaney." 

Befure  I  cud  git  me  wits  thegither 
again,  Minnie,  the  ritched,  false  crachure 
was  gone.  I  herd  the  fruut  dure  dose 
behind  her. 


I 


CHAPTER  XXn 


NEXT  DAT 

OH  WIRRAH!  wirrah!  winah!  Its 
a  sad  and  loansome  warld  and  its 

a  trecherus  snake  is  Minnie. 

Yesterday  me  hart  was  full  of  feers. 
Its  menny  an  effort  I  made  to  relave 
mesilf  to  Miss  Claire,  but  for  pity  for 
the  puir  yung  creachure  me  tung  refused 
to  spake. 

Last  nite  was  a  nite  of  shocks.  Mr. 
John  cum  down  to  the  bastemint 
and  taks  possisshun  after  dinner  of 
me  prival  dining-rume.  The  widder 
do  be  giving  him  a  barskit  full  <^ 
•  seeds,  frish  picked  from  her  gardin, 
and  he's  after  wanting  he  ses  to 
sort  thim  out  and  mark  the  reyspictiv 
packages  so  he  may  know  them  nizt 


1«8     THE  DIARY  OP  DELIA 


Spring  whin  hes  going  to  have  a  fine 
gardin. 

Miss  Claire  cum  into  me  kitchin,  wid 
her  bloo  eyes  swimming  wid  teers. 

"What  will  we  do,  Delia?"  ses  she, 
"John  is  in  the  dining-room  to-nite,  and 
I  cant  get  him  out." 

"Now  don't  you  be  after  wurriting 
darlint"  ses  I,  *'Shure  Mr.  Harry  is 
wilcam  to  me  kitchin.'* 

"But  John  may  walk  in  upon  us** 
ses  she  despritly. 

"He'd  better  not"  ses  I,  and  wid  that 
I  wint  to  the  dure  and  called  out  to  Mr. 
John : 

"Will  ye  be  good  enuff  to  kape  your 
disthance  from  me  kitchin  to-nite,  as  its 
private  company  I'm  expicting." 

"Very  well  Delia"  ses  he  perlitely. 

I  wint  outside  to  the  bastemint  dure, 
and  wated  in  person  for  Mr.  Harry. 
When  he  arrived,  I  tauld  him  the  state 


THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA 


129 


of  things,  and  he  slipped  into  me  kitchen. 
Miss  Claire  were  sitting  on  me  table, 
her  little  feet  swinging  in  the  air. 

**Grood  avening'*  ses  she,  trying  to 
smile  and  look  chareful  "Ye'll  obsarve" 
ses  she  "the  extrames  to  which  we  are 
driven.     John  holds  the  fort  to-nite." 

Mr.  Hany  is  haulding  her  hands  as 
she  spakes,  and  watching  her  face  like 
he  wad  ate  her  up. 

"Had  I  better  go  thin?"  ses  he. 

"O,  if  you  want  to"  ses  she,  slipping 
down  from  the  table,  and  turning  away 
from  him  a  bit. 

"Want  to!'*  seb  he,  "You  don't  meen 
that!" 

"No"  ses  she,  saftly,  "I— I  dont." 

I  thot  the  yung  lad  wud  grab  her,  but 
joost  thin  he  seen  me  and  kept  still. 

Miss  Claire  sayses  hauld  of  a  frying 
pan. 

"Never  mind"  ses  she  "We'll  enjoy 


180     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


oursilves  aven  in  the  kitchen?  You've 
never  tasted  me  famiss  fudge,  have 
you  Mr.  Dudley?" 

"No"  ses  he,  looking  at  her  pretty 
arms,  as  she  rolled  back  the  sleeves 
from  thim. 

"Well"  ses  she  "I  lamed  to  make 
it  in  me  Vassa  days.  Gret  me  an  aprun, 
Delia"  ses  she. 

I  brot  her  wan  of  her  own — a  little 
red  gingum  thin  wid  frills  and  pockits. 
She  let  him  button  it  behind  her,  and  he 
tuk  so  long  she  broke  away  larfing  and 
blooshing. 

"Now"  ses  she  "Fom  may  help  me. 
I  want  cream,  sugar,  butter  and  chocklett. 
A  bit  of  vernilla  too"  ses  she. 

They  set  to  work,  busy  and  happy  as 
chUdrun  making  mud  pies.  By  and  by 
the  stuff  was  cooked,  and  she  set  him 
to  mixing  it,  "and  mix  it  stiff"  ses  she, 
"while  I  greese  the  pans." 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  181 

This  dun,  she  took  a  spoon  and  scoop- 
ing out  a  bit  she  hild  it  to  his  lips.  He, 
not  looking  at  the  fudge,  but  wid  his 
eyes  fixed  on  her,  opened  his  mouth 
and  took  in  the  spoon.  Then  he  gov 
a  yell  and  down  drapped  the  spoon. 

"Oh!**  ses  she,  turning  pail,  "wuz  it 
hot  ?    Harry !  '*  ses  she,  "  I  burned  you ! " 

"You  call  me  Harry!"  ses  he,  and 
saysed  hauld  of  her  by  the  arms.  I 
was  watching  wid  all  me  eyes,  whin  I 
herd  the  dure  squake  a  bit.  Befure 
I  cud  move  tords  it  Miss  Claire  roon  oop 
aginst  it  and  hild  it  closed  wid  her  little 
hands. 

"The  china  closet,  Delia!'*  she  wis- 
pered,  and  I  shuwed  Mr.  Harry  into 
the  closet  and  banged  the  dure  tite. 
Whin  we  let  in  Mr.  John  he  looked 
about  him. 

"Whats  the  matter?"  ses  he,  "Why 
did  you  hauld  me  out?*' 


138      THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA 

"O"  ses  Miss  Claire,  gayly,  "Its  a 
game  Delia  and  I  are  playing." 

He  frowned  and  ses  cauldly. 

"Ye  cud  find  bitter  implyment  I 
fancy  than  playing  in  the  kitchen  wid 
Delia.  Your  not  a  child  Claire"  ses 
he. 

Shes  about  to  spake  in  ansser  whin 
the  frunt  dure  bell  run,  and  I  saized 
me  aprun  and  wint  to  ansser  it,  laving 
the  yung  peeple  alone.  As  I  reeched 
the  upper  flure,  I  seen  Mr.  WoHey 
turning  on  the  lites  in  the  hall.  Then 
he  opened  the  dure.  A  little  auld 
gintleman  wid  wiskers  on  his  cheeks 
and  spats  on  his  feet  stud  there.. 

"Good  avening"  ses  he,  "Mr.  WoUey, 
I  belave?" 

I  cud  tell  by  Mr.  WoUey's  back  that 
his  face  was  purple.  He  harf  closed 
the  dure,  and  thin  agin  opened  it. 

"What  is  it  you  want ?**  ses  he  roodely. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  188 


"Who  is  it  father?"  ses  Mr.  James* 
oomeiiig  into  the  hall,  then  he  too  sem 
the  little  gintleman.  Tlie  latter  is  spak- 
ing  wid  horchure  and  dignity. 

"I  cum,  sor"  ses  he,  "to — er — ask 
— you  sir,  to  requist  me  sun  to  lave 
your  house." 

"I  don't  oonderstand  you"  ses  Mr. 
WoUey  cauldly. 

"I  resaved"  ses  the  auld  gintleman, 
stepping  into  the  hall,  "a  nonnymuss 
epissle  this  marning.  Ordinary  I  ignoar 
sich  things,  but  me  suspishuns  had  al- 
reddy  been  aroused.  I  tuk  it  upon 
mesilf  to  play  the  detictive  to-nite.  When 
me  sun  left  the  house  I  followed  him 
here.  I  saw  him  inter  ye're  place  be 
way  of  the — er — ^bastemint"  ses  he 
hortily.  "I  wayted  around  a  bit  and 
thin  desided  to  spake  to  you  personally. 
You — er — ^probably  appreeshiate  me 
position"  ses  he.   "I  of  coorse,  shall 


184     THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA 


absolutely  refuse  to  reckynise  anny  foolish 
shcrape  of  the  yungster — he's  a  mere 
boy"  he  adds  loftily. 

"Sir"  ses  Mr.  Wolley,  "if  yure  yung 
ass  of  a  sun — yuse  the  word  advisedly** 
ses  he  **has  been  making  a  fool  of  him- 
silf  over  a  girl  in  me  imploy»  I  am  not 
intrusted  in  the  affare.  Will  you  be 
good  enu£F  to  go  to  the  back  dure." 

Wid  that  he*s  about  to  open  the  dure, 
when  he  seen  me  standing  there. 

"Delia!**  ses  he,  "Heres  your  yung 
man's  father.  Just  tak  him  into  the 
kitchen." 

Old  Mr.  Dudley  seemed  aboot  to 
boorst,  but  befure  he  cud  spake,  Mr. 
James  tuk  him  by  the  arm  and  lid  him 
gintly  but  firmly  to  the  kitchen  dure. 
As  I  was  about  to  follow  Mr.  Wolley 
saised  hauld  of  me  slave. 

"Delia!"  ses  he,  wispering  excitedly, 
"is  Claire  doon  stares?** 


THE  DIARY  OF  DSLIA  IM 


N-no — ^jc^—indade  I  dont  know  gir'* 
MS  I  and  1  picked  up  me  apnm  and 
^gua  Id  cry  into  it. 

We  difinded  to  me  kit^in — ^Mr.  Wol- 
ley,  Mr.  James  and  auM  Mr.  Dudlej, 
who  shtcrnb^ed  on  the  lark  st*»p^  and 
sneezed  ^hin  he  g  )t  to  the  ^oitom. 
In  the  kiteyn  we  cum  uf  <.  a  ^raynge 
site.  Miai  Claire  was  *  -^  wid 
her  bad^  apnst  me  dt;  1  r 

eyes  werr  wiki   loVing,  and  ska 

kept  talis  t  .  fr.  -^im  \.  ho  stud  be- 
fii.e  bf^T. 

"Go  away,  Mml  Go  away!"  ses  she. 
^Yent  Am  (^es  dure!  You  shan't! 
You  thtmlV  st    ^v.     Then  she  seen 

i  4  all  and  ^He  e        I'ttle  cry. 

.  i^.ia!      O     *elia!"  ses  she,  "dont 
m  ^ — ^ae  soospicts  sumthing," 
stf  td  tb^  ^e  poot  heap  he<I  clown 

on  u   ^^ir  91  ti  burst  into  teers. 
I  held  Mi.  b..^  moving  in  the  doset. 


186      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


and  I  belave  the  yung  chap  must  have 
herd  Miss  Claire  weeping,  for  joost  as 
she  boorst  into  teers,  he  forced  open 
the  dure.  For  a  moment  he  stud 
blinking,  and  thin  he  seen  us  all.  He 
guv  a  look  first  at  his  father  and  as  the 
auld  gintleman  wint  tord  him  he  drew 
himsilf  up  stiff  and  faced  him. 

"Well  sir!"  ses  the  auld  fellow,  chok- 
ing wid  rage,  *'so  this  is  whare  ye've 
been  spinding  your  avenings — ^in  the 
kitchen  of  these  contemtyble  pinny-a- 
liners." 

"One  moment"  ses  the  lad,  and  sud- 
dintly  he  turned  to  Miss  Claire,  and 
poot  an  arm  about  her,  but  befure  he 
cud  draw  her  to  him,  Mr.  James  had 
dashed  forward. 

"Dam  you!"  ses  he,  "tak  your  hands 
aff  me  sister!"  Wid  that  he  rinched 
thim  apart. 

Yung  Dudley  loomed  very  pail,  but 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  187 


he  smiled  quarely,  as  he  moved  tord 
the  dure. 

"Claire!"  ses  he,  spaking  clear  over 
the  heds  of  ivery  wan,  "raymimber  darlint 
that  we  love  aich  other.  All  will  cum 
rite  yet  deerest"  ses  he. 

Thin  ignoaring  and  pooshing  past  his 
little  angry  father  he  made  his  way  to 
the  bastemint  dure  and  out. 

Mr.  Dudley  stud  a  minit  lookiug  aboot 
him  his  thin  lips  p('{)rsed  ap  in  a  snarling 
shmile.  He  adrissed  himself  to  Mr. 
Wolley,  but  his  eyes  was  on  Mka 
Claire. 

"Me  sun"  ses  he  "is  yung  and  rash. 
This  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  been 
obleeged  to  cum  in  person  to  extrycate 
him  from  sich  a  scrape.  Forchunatly" 
ses  lie  "we  ezpict  him  to  make  an  airly 
mam^;e.  I  was  talking  to  his  finansay's 
father  to-day  and  its  aboot  desided  that 
the  yung  fokes  will  both  be  sint  abrord 


138     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


nixt  week.  Good  avening  sir"  ses  he 
"You  will  not  be  thrubbled  again"  ses 
he.  Thin,  still  smiling  in  that  nasty 
iuBOolting  way  of  his,  he  bowed  and 


CHAPTER  XXin 


NEXT  DAT 

A  FTER  the  sad  ivints  of  the  dis- 
^  thressf 111  day  I  wmt  to  sleep  wid 
a  hewy  hart,  but  sorrer  a  Int  of  paceful 
sleep  did  I  get.  I  drimt  that  Minnie  do 
be  cuming  to  tak  my  place  wid  the  Wolley 
family.  By  desateful  words  and  ack- 
shons  she  have  worked  upon  the  feelings 
id  lifiss  Claire  and  now  its  me  the  family 
do  be  blaming  for  the  thrubbles.  I  do 
be  weeping  fit  to  make  a  hart  of  stone  ake 
and  telling  Miss  Claire  its  me  thats  been 
a  true  and  loving  girl,  a  foolish  victim 
of  the  sinful  Minnie.  But  in  me  dream 
Bfiss  Claire  r^oosed  to  kx^  at  me  at 
all  at  aU,  and  its  wirrah,  wirrah,  I  be 
crying  in  me  'eep.  Thin  I  herd  some- 
wan  whispe.  ^  at  me  eer. 

m 


140     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


"Delia!  Delia!** 

I  set  up  wildly  in  me  bed,  and  there 
I  seen  Miss  Claire  in  the  moonlite. 

"Its  I,  Claire—don't  be  fritened,  Delia" 
ses  she. 

"My  God!  Miss"  ses  I  "ye  do  be 
after  scaring  a  body.  Whats  the  thrub- 
ble  darlint"  for  shes  neeling  by  me 
bed  crying  fit  to  brake  her  hart. 
After  a  bit  she  looked  up  and  ses: 
"Theyve  been  watching  me  all  Even- 
ing. They'll  niver  let  me  be  alone  wid 
you  agin.  You  see  papa  ses  your 
to  blame,  and  James  ses  that  if  you 
hadn't  incoraged  us  to  yuse  your  kitchen 
and  " 

I  set  up  and  shuk  me  fist. 

"Ef  Mr.  James"  ses  I  "has  anny 
crittersickem  to  be  after  making  on  a 
poor  loan  hardworking  girl  he'd  better 
spake  to  me." 

"Oh  Delia"  ses  she  "plase  don't  get 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  Ml 


excited.  lissen.  I'm  not  to  be  hoose- 
kaper  anny  longer.  I  dont  know  how 
Harry  and  I  will  see  aich  other,  and  Oh 

Delia,"  ses  she>  saizing  me  by  the  shou wi- 
der, *'Did  you  heer  him  say  that  he — ^he 
loved  me?" 

"That  I  did  darhnt"  ses  I,  "so  dont 
you  be  after  wurrying,  for  all  the  avil 
minded  brothers  in  the  warld,  all  the 
cross  eyed,  hard  harted,  black  sowled, 
crool  fathers  and  mothers  cant  coom 
betune  a  pare  of  swateharts  whin  troo 
love  is  after  stipping  in." 

"Yes"  ses  she  aimestly  "but  do  you 
relly  think  he  ment  it?" 

**Ment  it!  Its  ashamed  I  am  of 
you  Miss  Claire.  Is  it  misdouting  the 
woord  of  Mr.  Dudley,  you  be,  and 
he  as  foine  a  yung  chap  as  iver 
stepped  alive  ?'* 

Hie  teers  dryed  up  like  magick,  and 
she  smiled  as  swately  as  a  aingel.    "  Yes  " 


148     THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA 


ses  she  "he  did  mean  it,  and  all  tuiU 
cum  rite,  for  love*'  ses  she  "w^  shurely 
foind  a  way.*' 

*'That  k  wm*'  ses  I. 

Well,  thin  she  wint  to  bed,  and  I  be- 
lave  slipt  sowndly,  for  her  cheeks  were 
pink  as  roses  in  the  maming,  and  ha 
eyes  brite  and  luvly. 

Ske  ses  "Goad  marnkig  everybody'^ 
in  a  braTe  gay  toan  whim  she  cam  to  the 
brekfust  table,  wid  the  intyre  family 
setting  there  and  waiting  in  agunny 
for  her  to  apeer.  all  suffering  wid  the 
thort  of  her  broken  hart. 

Mr.  John  lifts  cop  his  paper,  and  I 
seen  him  frowning  like  to  brake  his  face 
behind  it — ^hes  that  ankshiss  to  keep 
back  a  teer.  Auld  Mr.  WoUey  blew 
his  nose  like  it  was  a  throompet.  Mr. 
James  swollers  his  coffee  red  hot,  and 
Mrs.  Wolley  tuk  to  crying  to  hersilf. 
Miss  Claire  guv  a  kiss  to  little  Witty 


THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA  14S 

and  wan  to  her  father.  Then  she  et 
her  brekfust,  beeming  on  everybody. 

After  brekfust  Mrs.  Wolley  cam  into 
the  kitchen  and  guv  me  the  orders  for 
the  day.  I  herd  Mr.  WoUey's  orter- 
mobile  and  looking  from  me  winder 
seen  him  go  by  wid  Miss  Claire  setting 
by  Ids  side,  and  Mr.  John  and  James  in 
toHM).  Mr.  Billy  wint  out  to  his 
sand  pie  and  Mrs.  Wolley  l^t  me  in 
peese. 

It  was  baking  day  and  I  had  jest  set 
me  bred  into  the  pans  for  the  fynal 
raysing  and  had  c^ned  the  oven  dure 
to  see  1k>w  me  spunge  cake  was  doing, 
whin  I  herd  a  bit  of  muvement  at  me 
back.  I  turned  aboot,  and  let  out  a 
turrible  yell,  for  there  was  me  frind 
from  the  Dudley's.  He  do  be  standing 
in  me  kkc&in  bauki  and  l^raz^  as  if 
he  bdonged  thore,  and  thms  a  larf  in 
his  eye  and  on  his  bauld  mouth  too. 


144      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


Now  if  theres  wan  thing  bad  for  spoonge 
cake  it  do  be  a  sudden  bang  or  noyse. 
Its  bownd  to  mak  the  finest  cake  fall 
down.  Silinse  is  the  rool  wid  all  good 
Gooks  whin  the  cakes  in  the  ooven.  I 
throo  wan  look  at  me  sponge  cake  and 
shure  enuff  the  preshus  stuff  had  fallen 
flat.  Thin  I  rose  and  faced  aboot  on  the 
impident  yung  spalpeen  standing  there. 

"Its  plane  to  see*'  ses  I  me  hands  on 

;e  hips  "whare  you  hale  fnim.  Its 
ashamed  I  am  to  acnolege  you  a  coon- 
tryman  of  me  own,  and  its  lissons  in 
foine  manners  ye  mite  be  after  taking" 
ses  I  "from  the  foine  cortsheeis  yjLmg 
gintleman  wid  hoom  ye  have  the  daytf 
honour  of  assoshyating." 

"Is  it  the  frog  ater  ye're  maning, 
Delia  deer?"  ses  he. 

"Me  name"  ses  I  "Is  Mss  O'malley, 
and  its  no  time  I'm  after  having  for  the 
loike  oi  you."     Wid  that  I  picked  up 


THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA  lU 


me  chopping  bowl  and  wint  to  wark 
upon  the  hash,  a  sartin  looach  dispised 
by  Mr.  James  whos  after  wantiiig  stake 
wid  every  meel. 

Mr.  Mulvaney  guv  a  larfing  look  at 
the  dure  lately  intercated  by  me,  then 
he  walked  over  to  it  carelessly  and  shut 
it  closed.  Wid  that  I  almost  chopped 
me  thoomb  off  in  me  rage.  He  cum 
over  to  the  table  and  set  upon  it  wid 
his  foot  a  swinging.  Then  he  leaned 
tord  me  and  wispered. 

"Delia  darlint"  ses  he  "what  wud 
ye  be  after  giving  me  for  a  love  letter." 

I  sthopped  me  diopping»  and  guv  him 
wan  bok  of  contimpt  and  scorn. 

"Larry  Mulvaney"  ses  I  "if  ye're 
wanting  to  no  the  throo  value  of  the  artucle 
you  minshun  I'll  tell  you.  Its  a  clout 
over  the  eer  I'd  be  giving  you  f<»  reword" 
ses  I  and  I  chopped  feercely. 

"But  suppose'*  ses  he,  leenlng  •  bit 


146 


THE  DIAHY  OF  DELIA 


neerer  "that  the  Utter  was  not  for 
you." 

At  that  I  stopped  me  chopping. 

"If  its  Minnie  ye're  fwate  on  " 

but  here  he  interrupted  and  took  the 
paper  from  his  coat  and  tossed  it  up  in 

the  air. 

"Its  for  Miss  Wolley"  ses  he,  "and 
its  from  Mr.  Harry  himself." 

I  guY  such  a  joomp  me  chopping 
boal  wint  over,  wid  all  me  prishus  hash 
on  the  flure,  and  that  the  last  mmil 
of  meet  in  the  house  for  loonch. 

"My  God,  Mr.  Mulvaney!**  ses  I, 
"do  you  mean  it?" 

He's  very  bfty  now,  and  risii^  oop 
ses  hortily: 

"I'd  like  to  see  Miss  Wdley  if  you 
plaze.  Miss  0*Malley"  ses  he  wid  emfasis. 

"Shes  out"  ses  I.  He  moved  lord 
the  dure,  me  aafter  him,  and  I  cort  him 
by  his  slave. 


TRB  DIABY  OF  DELIA  m 


*'Guv  it  to  me  Lany!"  I  bcfged» 
"Ito  nivter  a  eiuuioa  the  familjr  wiU  giir 
you  to  hand  ft  to  the  pu^  child  and  shure 
if  ye*ll  jest  hand  it  to  me  1*11  slip  it  ii,to 
her  hand  widout  a  sole  in  the  house 
gessing  the  trooth." 

But  Mr.  MulTaney  put  the  letter  into 
his  brist  pocket.  Then  he  croased  his 
arms,  and  stares  at  me. 

"Delia*'  sts  he,  **tell  me  the  thruth. 
Are  you  sweet  on  the  Frinchman?" 

"Thats  me  personal  affare,  Mr.  Mooi- 
vaney"  ses  I. 

"Becorse  if  ye  are"  sea  he  'Mt«  mily 
fare  to  let  ye  know  hes  r r-  after 
ye-re  hard  aimed  sayings.  1  ..u  I  rinch 
are  blick,  but  its  a  true  hart  ye're  needing 
to  leen  upon." 

"Larry  Mulvaney"  sea  I  "will  you 
or  will  you  not  be  after  handing  me  the 
letter  for  Mms  Claire?" 

"On  wan  condition*'  ses  he. 


148 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


"Spake  it"  ses  I. 

**  Guv  me  a  kiss,  darlint"  ses  he. 

"I'll  be  dummed  first"  ses  I  wid 
indigation. 

"Be  dummed  then"  ses  he,  "but 
lissen  swatehart.  Mr.  Dudley  do  be 
sinding  Mr.  Harry  aff  to  Yurope  to- 
morrow marning  airly.  Its  the  long 
distunse  cure  the  auld  gintleman  do  be 
after  expiating  for  the  lad.  Now  Mr. 
Harry  has  rote  a  litter  of  ixplanashuns 
to  Miss  Claire  appoynting  an  intervew. 
So  Delia  darllnt  its  oop  to  you.  Shall 
Miss  Claire  have  the  litter  or  shall  she 
not?" 

"My  God  Mr.  Mulvaney"  ses  I  "do 
you  mean  to  say  ye*d  be  holding  back 
the  litter  from  the  puir  yung  thing?" 

"Oonless"  ses  he,  "you  guv  me  a 
kiss." 

"Tak  it  then"  ses  I  "and  be  dummed 
to  you." 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  149 


Wid  that  he  guv  a  joomp,  saysed  me 
about  the  waste  and  kissed  me  smack 
on  the  lips,  and  me  riddy  to  sink  into  the 
airth  for  shame,  for  shure  its  the  first 
time  a  lad  do  be  giving  me  a  kiss.  He 
slipped  the  letter  into  me  hand.  Wid 
that  I  cam  to  me  sinses  and  struck  out 
wid  me  free  hand.  But  Earry  guv  a  larf 
at  the  smack  I'm  giving  him  and  ses  he: 

"Delia  darlint  thats  nothing  but  a 
love  smack.  Goodbye  mavoumeen,  it'll 
be  manny  a  day  befure  ye'U  forgit  the 
kissing  I've  given  you." 

Whin  he  was  gone  I  looked  about  me 
kitchin,  hardly  knowing  what  I  was 
seeing,  wid  the  ixdpshun  of  the  hash 
on  the  flure.  Prisintly  I  herd  the  family 
coming  home  and  I  sneeked  upstares 
hoping  to  get  the  chance  of  seeing  Miss 
Claire  alone.  The  family  was  on  the 
porch,  and  I  herd  Mr.  James  reeding 
aloud  horn  a  litter  in  his  luuid: 


150     THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA 


"Deer  Miss  WoUey"  he  red,  "me 
sun  sales  for  Yurope  per  S.  S.  Gemumya 
to-morrow  morning  at  7.  and  is  ac- 
cumpanied  by  Miss  Una  Bobbins  and 
her  father.*' 

Thin  followed  a  few  more  wards  in 
which  the  auld  scallywag  congrachulated 
the  puir  yung  trachure  upon  her  iscape 
from  a  young  fellow  whos  intinshuns 
were  not  seerius  since  he  was  all  the  time 
ingaged  to  another  girl  and  he  begged  to 
remane  hers  fathefully  S.  Judd  Dudley. 

I  left  the  family  looking  at  aich  other 
in  silince  and  wint  oop  thray  stips  at  a 
time  to  the  child's  room.  I  nocked 
saftly. 

"Min  Chiire!"    I  called. 
I  herd  her  sobbing  inside  and  I  called 
agin,  "Miss  Claire  darlint!" 
At  that  she  called: 
"Go  away  Delia!   Go  away!" 
"Miss  CUire!"  I  called  wid  me  mouth 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  151 

to  the  keyhole  "for  the  love  of  God 
open  the  dure."  After  a  moment  I 
hefd  the  key  tura  mad  thin  she  cqpeoed 
it  jooft  a  eraek  or  two.  I  thzoMi  in 
rae  h«id  and  i&ayved  the  letter  in  at 
the  dure.  I  herd  her  guv  a  little  moofled 
scrame  and  thin  she  was  sylint.  I 
stole  away  down  stares  and  cryed  in 
peece  in  me  dish  towel.  Shure  I*d 
be  giving  the  baold  lad  a  hocnuired  kisses 
more,  ef  he  were  to  ask  me  again  for 
thim  joost  now. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


NEXT  DAY 

AT  4  A.  M.  Miss  Claire  cum  into  me 
room.  She's  all  dressed  and 
she  shuk  me  a  bit  and  brung  me  me 
clothes.  "Dress  quickly  Delia"  ses  she, 
"I'm  going  to  meet  him." 

Mr.  Harry?**  ses  I.  She  nods,  her 
eyes  shining  both  wid  teers  and  smiles. 

"Hurry!"  ses  she,  "Its  still  dark  and 
I'm  afrade  to  go  doon  stares  alone.** 

I  was  into  me  clothes  in  a  minit  and 
thegither  we  wint  down  the  back  stares. 
We  cum  to  the  bastemint  and  Miss 
Claire  opened  the  back  dure,  and  stud 
there  waiting.  There  was  not  a  bit  of 
sun  at  the  our,  and  it  getting  tord  the 
fall  the  air  do  be  chilly.     Ivery  whare 

we  looked  there  seemed  to  be  oo|^y 

us 


154      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


gray  clouds  in  the  sky  and  the  grass 
do  be  thick  wid  hevvy  jew.  But  Miss 
Claire  waited  on  at  the  dure,  and  wotched 
the  sky,  *'For"  ses  she,  "he  sed  at  sun- 
rise." 

After  a  bit  I  seen  a  speck  of  gold  cum 
crapping  into  the  gray  of  the  sky  and  it 
grew  a  wee  bit  liter.  Then  I  seen  Mr. 
Harry  cum  acrost  the  Ion.  Miss  Claire 
seen  him  too  and  she  wint  out  a  step 
or  two  to  meet  him.  Then  he  seen 
her  and  he  cum  running  tord  her,  wid 
his  arms  hild  wide  out,  and  she  started 
running  tord  him  likewise,  till  they  cum 
to  aicfa  other,  and  then  wid  never  a  word 
they  were  in  aich  other's  arms,  he  toom- 
ing  oop  her  face  and  looking  at  it.  Thin 
soodently  she  put  it  doon  aginst  his 
coat  (jest  as  I  had  dun  wid  that  bold 
Larry)  and  she  begun  to  cry  saftly 
joost  as  if  her  hart  was  broken. 

"Lissen  Claire,  me  darlint'*  ses  he. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  155 

**I  love  you!  We  love  aich  other. 
The  warld  itself  cannot  divide  us." 

"But  your  going  away!  Your  going 
away!"  ses  she,  "Your  going  away!"  and 
thin  she  looked  up  at  him,  and  hild  his 
arms  tite  as  tho  she  wud  not  let  him 
go. 

"Only  for  a  little  wile"  ses  he  "joost 
to  consillerate  dad.     He  thinks"  ses  he 

smilling  scornfully,  "that  I'm  not  in 
airnest  darlint.  He  offers  to  put  me 
to  the  test.  He's  guv  me  his  ward 
that  he'll  put  no  obsticle  in  me  parth  if 
I'll  be  gone  for  6  months.  Darlint" 
ses  he  "you  kin  wate  that  long  for  me. 
Otherwise  I  don't  see  what  we  can  do. 
I  haven't  a  red  cent  and  we  cuddent 
live  on  nothing." 

But  she  still  sobbed  a  bit  aginst  his 
coat,  and  she  ses: 

"And  Una  Bobbins  is  going  too.  Is 
she — are  you  ingaged  to  her?"  ses  she. 


156     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


"I*m  ingaged  to  you*'  ses  he  so  vylently 
that  she  larfed  a  bit,  and  then  he  tuk 
her  hand  and  slipped  a  ring  on  wan  of 
her  fingies: 

"Its  a  cheep  little  thing"  ses  he  *  It 
was  me  mothers.  When  father  gave 
it  to  her  they  was  puir — puir  as — er — 
Delia  there — ^he  a  plane  worker  in  a 
masheen  shop  and  she  a  cuntry  teecher." 

Then  he  kissed  the  finger  wid  the  ring 
on,  and  they  put  there  arms  aboot  aich 
other  and  clung  a  bit  thegither. 

"Goodbye  my  love!"  ses  he. 

"Goodbye  Harry!"  ses  she. 

They  seppyrated  for  a  sicond  and  wint 
away  aich  from  the  uther.  Thin  they 
flew  back  to  aich  other  and  clung  a  bit 
again.  And  agin  they  seppyrated  and 
she  run  tord  the  bastemint  dure  wid  her 
hand  to  her  throte  like  she  was  choking. 
She  roon  down  the  stares  and  I  tuk 
her  into  me  arms.     She  was  shaking 


THE  DIAEY  OF  DELIA 


167 


and  trimbling  like  a  child.  Then  we 
herd  Mr.  Harry's  voyse; 

"Claire!"  he  called  and  he  cum  down 
the  stares. 

"Oh  God!*'  ses  he  '*I  cant  do  it" 
ses  he.  And  again  they  clung.  They 
broke  away  agin,  she  pushing  him  along. 

"Goodbye**  ses  she.  "Now  go — 
before  they  cum"  ses  she.  Then  when 
he  was  gone  she  run  up  the  stares  and 
bolted  the  dure.  I  herd  him  at  the 
other  3ide,  pooshing  at  it. 

"Claire!  Claire!  Claire!**  he  called, 
and  she  inside:  "Harry!  Harry!  Oh  my 
love!"  ses  she.     "Goodbye,  goodbye!*' 


CHAPTER  XXV 


TEN  DAYS  LATER 

GOOD  marning  Delia"  ses  Mrs.  Bang 
(the  widdy  acrost  the  strate)  "Is 
anny  wan  at  home  ?** 

"Oh  yes  mam*'  ses  I,  litting  her  in 
throo  the  fly  dure.  "Mr.  John"  ses 
I  "is  alter  shaving  his  face  mam*' ses  I 
"  Will  ye  wait  till  hes  throo  ?" 

"Why  anny  of  the  family  will  do" 
sep  she,  flushing. 

"Ye'U  find  Mr.  WoUey"  ses  I  "in  the 
stable.  Hes  oond^nathe  the  ort»- 
mobile  as  yushuL  Mrs.  WoU^  is 
after  taking  her  noonday  syester,  as 
Mr.  James  calls  it  and  Miss  Claire  is  in 
her  room.  Mr.  James  has  gone  to  town. 
Mr.  Billy  is  hilping  his  daddy." 
"m  see  Miss  Wdley"  ses  she  hortily. 

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160     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


I  wint  oop  to  tell  Miss  Claire.  She 
looked  a  bit  poot  out. 

"Wheres  John?"  she  arsked  at  wanse. 

"Shaving  miss"  ses  I. 

She  wint  down  stares,  and  she  and 
the  widder  kissed.  I  wint  abboot  me  wark 
doosting  the  dyning  rume,  and  wiping 
oop  the  parkay  flure  wid  a  greesy  cloth, 
manewhile  linding  an  eer  to  the  illygunt 
convysashun  of  the  widdy.  She  do  be 
fond  of  the  sownd  of  her  own  voyce, 
and  she  threated  the  puir  yung  crachure 
to  sooch  an  indless  strame  of  sinsliss 
gossip  as  iver  I  had  the  misforthune  to 
lissen  to  befure.  Puir  Miss  Claire  sat 
wid  her  chin  on  her  hand,  pretinding 
to  lissen  but  heering  not  a  word  of  the 
widdy 's  discurse.  After  a  bit  the  widdy 
seemed  to  tak  notiss  of  her  silinse. 

"You  seem  a  bit  distray  this  marning 
deer"  ses  she. 

Miss  Claire  set  up. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  161 


"Oh  no  no"  ses  she,  "I— Fm  all 
rite  Mrs.  Bangs." 

The  widder  leened  back  and  fanned 
hersilf  carelissly. 

"So  Harry  Dudley  has  gone"  ses  she, 
wotching  Miss  Claire.  "It  was  very 
suddint  I  belave." 

Miss  Claire  was  all  awake  now,  white 
and  red  in  turn,  but  she  sed  nuthing. 

"And  Una  Robbins  is  gone  too"  ses 
the  widder.  Suddintly  she  closed  up  her 
fan  sharply.  "Do  you  no"  ses  she  "I 
want  to  say  sumthing  to  you  orful  badly 
but  I  feel  I  haven't  the  rite  to — not 
being  a  mimber  of  your  family." 

Joost  then  Mr.  John  cum  down,  look- 
ing very  spry  and  neet  wid  his  new  shaven 
face  and  hare  frish  brushed. 

"Hello"  ses  he,  and  shuk  the  widder's 
hands.  "Are  you  going  Claire?"  ses 
he,  for  she  was  going  lord  the  stares. 

"If  Mrs.  Bangs  will  excuse  me"  ses 


m     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


she,  "I'll  finish  the  litter  I  was  writing. 
rU  be  back  shortiy." 

Whin  she  was  gone,  Mr.  John  pulled 
up  a  chare  and  sat  forward  looking  at 
the  widder  who  opened  her  fan  agin  and 
was  looking  at  the  pichure  on  it. 

"Mr.  Wolley"  ses  she  suddintiy,  "I'm 
afrade  I've  offinded  your  sister.  Oh 
deer*'  ses  she,  "I  do  want  to  ip.terfeer 
in  the  affares  of  this  foolish  and  im- 
practicul  family.  I'm  shure"  ses  she, 
"If  I  only  had  the  opporchunity  I  cud 
make  both  Claire  and  your  brother 
Jinuny  see  the  errow  of  their  ways. 
Take  Jimmy  for  instunse.  He's  like 
a  prickly  porkypine  lately,  riddy  to 
scrach  wun  if  wun  dares  to  aven  look 
at  him.  Look  at  the  state  of  his  Ions. 
Why  the  grarss  is  a  mile  hy  and  the  weeds 
have  all  cum  up  in  the  carrag6  drives. 
Why  I  cud  tell  him  in  a  minit  how  to 
rid  the  drives  of  weeds.  Salt — salt's 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  16S 


the  thing!  Jest  spred  it  on  the  drives. 
It'll  kill  the  weeds  at  wunse.  But  ah 
deer  me"  ses  she  sighing  hevily,  "I've 
not  the  rite  to  advise  Jimmy  or  cunsole 
Claire." 

"And  why  have  you  not?"  ses  Mr. 
John  camly,  tho  I  seen  him  move  his 
fingers  about  in  the  nerviss  way  he  has. 

"Why  have  I  not  the  rite?"  repeets 
the  widder,  opening  her  eyes  innersintly. 
"Becos  I*m  not  wan  of  the  family" 
ses  she. 

Mr.  John  got  up,  tuk  a  cupple  of  ner- 
viss walks  acros  the  room,  and  thin 
soodintly  wint  back  to  the  widder.  He 
set  himsilf  doon  on  the  arm  of  her  chare 
leaned  over  her.  She  did'nt  boodge 
an  inch,  tho  I  seen  her  get  red  oonder 
the  look  he  guv  her. 

"Jane"  ses  he,  "be  wan  of  the  family." 

"Good  grashis!"  ses  she,  leaning  back 
so  her  neck  nachully  fitted  in  the  coorve 


164     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


of  his  anii»  "are  you  proposing  to  me, 
"Mi.  Wolley?"  ses  she. 

"Yes  Jane"  ses  he,  "I'm  orfully  in 
love  wid  you." 

Wid  that  she  tilted  back  her  hed,  guv 
him  a  long  look,  then  delibritly  orferred 
him  her  lips. 

"Hilp  yersilf  John"  ses  she,  "Fm 
yours." 

She's  larfing  while  she  speaks,  but  she's 
crying  a  bit  jest  like  ivery  other  woman 
whin  he's  doon  wid  her. 

Mr.  John  who  is  a  fare  sized  gintleman 
slipped  down  from  the  arm  of  the  chare 
to  the  seet  beside  her.  The  widder  is 
pretty  ploomp  hersilf  and  they  squeezed 
up  closely  thegither,  leaning  aginst  aich 
other  and  spooning  like  yun^  fokes,  he 
being  thirty  if  he's  a  day  and  she  a 
widder. 

"Now  that  I've  got  the  rite  to  inter- 
feer"  ses  she  after  a  moment,  "I'm 


THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA  1«5 


going  to  do  it  wid  a  vingiiise.  Hold  on 
a  bit"  ses  she,  pooshing  him  aff  from 
her,  *'Now  lissin  to  sense,  John  Wolley. 

Go  upstares  and  tell  Claire  I  want  to 
spake  to  her." 

"Spake  to  her  to-morrow"  ses  he. 

"No"  ses  she,  shaking  her  hed  de- 
sidedly,  "John"  ses  she,  "you  an  I 
have  a  whole  life  yet  to  spind  thegither. 
I  can  spare  you  for  a  little  wile.  I 
came  to-day  upon  a  partikuler  errant. 
I  had  sumthing  to  say  to  Claire,  but 
first  it  was  nedssery  for  me  to  have  the 
rite  to  say  it.  The  proposul  and— ah 
— acciptunse  was  a  meeat  dyagrisshun, 
and  wile  I  confiss  to  a  shameliss  weekniss 
for  your  shtyle  of  wooing  darlint,  yit 
I'm  not  to  be  swurved  from  the  ob- 
jick  of  me  misshun.  There!  Go  and 
get  Claire,  and  whin  I'm  throo  wid  her 
ctim  back"  ses  she. 

Finally,  wid  more  airging,  she  in- 


166     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

jooced  the  puir  lover  to  go  after  his 
sister»  and  whin  he's  brot  Miss  Claire 
back,  she  waves  her  hands  airily  and  ses: 

"Begone!  I  want  to  spake  to  your 
sister  aloan." 

Whin  they  were  aloan  she  f  arely  beemed 
upon  Miss  Claire,  and  then: 

"And  now  to  resoom  deer"  ses  she 
"I  was  about  to  say  sumthing  to  you 
whin  your  brother  interripted." 

"Mrs.  Bangs"  ses  Miss  Claire,  wid 
agytashun,  **plase  dont — dont  talk  to 
me  aboot  " 

"Harry?"  ses  the  widder*  wid  her 
eyes  raysed  up.  "Why  me  deer" 
ses  she,  "who  has  a  better  rite  to  talk 
to  you  about  your  luwer  than  yure 
sister  deer"  ses  she  swately. 

"My  "  began  Miss  Claire,  and 

stared  at  her  wid  round  eyes.  Sud- 
dintly,  she  saised  hauld  of  the  widder's 
hand  and  ses  she  wid  excitement: 


THE  DIARY  OF  uL    lA  lfl7 

"You  dont  mean  " 

The  widder  nodded,  the  teers  cuming 
into  her  eyes. 

"But — ^but  he's  a  confirmed  old  bachei- 
ler"  ses  Miss  Claire. 

*«Is  he  ?"  ses  the  widder.  "  Wdl  aU 
good  things  cum  to  an  end.  However 
John  and  I  are  beside  the  quiston.  I 
merely  told  you  as  an  excuse  for  seeming 
to  pry  into  you  sacred  affares.  Give 
me  a  kiss  now  and  poar  out  yo**r  hart 
and  sole  into  me  sympytfaetic  eers.*' 

Then  they  kissed  and  the  widder  pushed 
Miss  Claire  into  a  chare,  and  set  down 
hersilf.  Befure  the  girl  can  spake 
o  r       hersilf  crossly: 

Now  will  you  tell  me  why  you  were 
such  a  little  goose  as  to  let  Harry  Dudley 
slip  throo  your  fingers?  My  deer" 
ses  she  interrupting  Miss  Claire  as  she 
started  in  to  spake.  "The  boy  was 
mad — dane  daft  about  you.    Now  ans- 


168      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


ser  me  this  you  notty  girl,  why  didnt 
you  take  him  ?** 

"I    did — ^that    is  "  began  Miss 

Claire,  whin  the  widder  grabbed  her 
hand  and  looked  at  the  ring. 

"Aha!"  ses  she  "cort  you  thin,  did'nt 
I?  Now"  ses  she  "whare  were  your 
sinses  under  the  sarcurastunses  whin 
you  let  him  go  away  at  wanse — and  of 
all  things  in  the  warld  wid  Una  Robbins." 

**Wid  her!"  ses  Miss  Claire. 

"Yes"  "It  was  an  artful  move  of 
old  S.  Judd  and  her  father.  My  dear, 
Una  is  the  most  rickluss  flurt  this  side 
of  heven.  Why  its  only  3  yeers  ago 
she  was  ingaged  to  Harry.  They  luwed 
for  a  moonth  and  broak  the  ingagemint 
a  day  later.  Dont  look  so  hurt.  They 
werent  achuUy  in  love — ^jest  playing. 
Now  Una  has  had  her  own  way  with 
men  iwer  sinse  she  wore  long  drisses. 
Thin  the  Wolley  family  moved  out  to 


\ 


THE   DIARY   OF  DELIA  169 

the  Poynt.  ThiTC  was  a  sartin  rood 
and  surly  mimber  of  this  crazy  family 
wid  a  constitooshinul  dislike  for  magnuts 
and  there  dortera.  Miss  Una  chose 
to  be  intrusted  in  him,  of  aU  men.  To 
her  surprise  her  advanses  were  rebuffed. 
She  achully  disinded  to  pursooing  him, 
as  you  no,  and  finally  in  despurashun — 
as  I  lamed  from  her  own  lips — she 
sank  so  low  as  to  insinnyvate  to  the 
loonytick  that  she  luved  him!" 

*'0'*  ses  Miss  Claire,  *'You  meen 
our  Jimmy." 

"The  terrible  Jimmy!"  ses  the  wid- 
der,  nodding. 

"She  tM  him  " 

"As  good  as  told  him." 

"And  he  ?" 

"He!  Ye  gods  in  hiven"  ses  the 
widdy  throwing  up  her  hands,  "he  cuv- 
vered  up  his  eers  wid  his  fingys, 
guv  a  look  of  commingled  borrow  and 


170      THE'DIARY   OF  DELIA 

dispare,  and  ran  away  from  her.  The 
follering  nite"  wint  on  the  widder,  "Mr. 
S.  Judd  Dudley  calleii  to  see  her  papa, 
and  the  marning  after  that  Miss  Una 
was  packed  bag  and  baggage  off  to 
Yurope.  Now  lissen  to  me  words  of 
wisdom  and  expeerinse.  If  those  S 
sore  yung  indivijools  dont  cum  to  sum 
sintimintul  oonderstanding  on  this  voy- 
age out  to  Yurope  thin  my  name  is 
not  Jane  Bangs  and  will  niver  be  Jane 
WoUey." 

Miss  Claire  sed  never  a  word,  but  she 
looked  at  the  widder  beseechingly. 

"To  begin  wid"  ses  the  widder,  "Its 
all  your  brother  John's  folt.  If  he*d 
proposed  to  me  a  month  ago  I  cud 
have  ingineered  the  hole  affare  happily 
for  this  family.  As  it  is  now"  ses  she, 
**ye*ve  acted  like  a  little  fool,  and  Harry 
like  a  big  wan.  Sakes  alive!"  ses  she, 
"why  didnt  you  make  him  stay  at  home? 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  171 

You  had  him  at  the  sycological  moment" 
ses  she.  "Do  you  suppose  I*d  have 
let  John  Wolley  sale  away  at  sooch  a 
time?  Not  by  a  long  chot  Una  is 
sore — ^broosed — hartaick — hurt  clane  throo 
and  throo.  She's  desprut.  A  girl  in 
that  condishdn  has  but  one  resoarcc — 
matrimunney — wid  anuther  fellow.  Now 
Harry." 

"Oh"  ses  Miss  Claire,  "please  Mrs. 
Bangs  dont  say  annything  to  me  about 
him.    I  krum  he  loves  me  oanly." 

She  cuwered  her  face  wid  her  hands 
convoolsively,  and  me  shtopping  in 
me  wark  in  the  dining-room  lisse  fng 
by  the  dure,  and  reddy  to  bat  the  ii  -  'Jr- 
f  eering  widder  on  the  hed  wid  me  dooster. 

"Now  me  deer"  ses  v widaer,  "you 
must  counteract  at  wanse  the  evil  of  this 
long  oshun  voyuge.  You  must  follow 
the  pair  at  wanse  to  Yurope." 

"I  ?    O  Mrs.  Bangs,  indade  we  arent 


172 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


rich  people.  We  cudden't  afford  it" 
ses  Miss  Claire,  "and  besides,  Jimmy 
may  cross  in  the  fall.  He's  been  of- 
fered the  London  corryspundint  post  for 
the  Planut." 

"He'd  better  accipt  at  wanse'*  ses  the 
widder  promply  "as  for  you  " 

Just  thin  in  walked  Mr.  John  and 
brort  an  ind  to  the  paneful  interfoo. 
The  widder  found  hersilf  aloan  wid  the 
sintimintul  gintleman  looking  at  her  tin- 
derly.  Her  own  face  is  poockered  oop 
wod  exaspenashun. 

"John  Wolley!"  ses  she,  "I  feel  like 
shaking  you." 

"What  have  I  dun,  Jane?"  ses  he 
reproatchfuUy. 

"Why  dident  you  propose  to  me  a 
month  ago?'*  ses  she  crossly. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


A  WEEK  LATER 

THIS  marnin*  wen  I  wint  to  open  the 
door  to  tak  in  the  papers  a  strange 
site  greeted  me  eyes.  "My  God!'* 
ses  I  aloud,  "is  it  snowing  in  Orgust" 

Thin  I  seen  Mr.  John.  He  had  wun 
of  me  dish  pans  in  his  hands  and  it 
seemed  to  be  full  of  holes,  fer  sumthing 
white  do  be  scattering  from  the  bottom 
of  it  all  over  the  place.  I  throwed  up 
me  hands  in  horrow.  Just  thin  I  seen 
the  widdy,  and  she  likewise  had  a  pan 
and  was  scattering  the  white  doost  in 
another  place.  She  guv  me  a  smile: 
"  Good  marning  Delia ! "  ses  she, "  we're 
goin'  to  surprise  Mr.  Jimmy.  We're 
pooting  sumthing  on  his  drives  wich 
will  kill  all  grass  and  weeds.    It's  salt," 

ITS 


174     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


ses  she.  "My  conshunce  John  Wolley!" 
she  screemed,  "what  are  you  doing?" 

Mr.  John  was  bizzy  wid  his  pan 
around  Miss  Claire's  floury  hidge  wich 
is  a  sorry  enuff  looking  hidge,  being 
that  the  weeds  and  grarss  have  grown 
out  thick  wid  only  a  poor  little  flour  to 
1-ike  up  its  hed  here  and  there.  Mr. 
John  do  be  throwing  the  salt  wid  a 
ginerous  hand  over  the  sad  looking 
hidge. 

"Why,"  ses  he,  "I'm  killing  the  weeds 
in  poor  little  Claire's  garden." 

The  widdy  threw  doon  her  pan  and 
set  upon  it. 

"You  do  beat  the  dooch!"  ses  she, 
"why  you  gander,"  ses  she,  "doant 
you  know  ye'U  kill  the  pmrs  too.  John 
Wolley,  I've  harf  a  mind  to  shake  you 
and  I  will  too!"  ses  she.  Wid  that  she 
roon  acrost  to  him,  wid  her  hands  hild 
out — but  bef ure  she  can  tooch  him,  he 


IHE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


176 


grabbed  her  aboot  the  waste,  and  kissed 
her  plump  on  the  lips. 

"You  retch!"  ses  she,  "and  befure 
Delia  too!  Oh-h!"  ses  she,  and  stamps 
her  foot. 

Its  cleening  day.  Nobody  but  a 
dammed  eddiot  wud  put  the  desateful 
looking  matting  down  on  dacint  flures. 
The  doost  and  dirt  finds  a  natchell 
place  to  settle  down  betwane  the  cracks. 
As  I  was  rubbing  it  over  wid  a  damp 
cloth  in  Mr.  Wolley*s  stoody  he  came 
in  wid  the  male.  In  wan  hand  he  held 
a  grate  boonsh  of  letters,  in  the  other 
one  ploomp  fine  looking  litter  by  itsilf. 
He  looks  queer. 

*'Has  Mr.  James  gone  to  town  yet?*' 
he  asks. 

"No  sir"  ses  I.  "Its  riting  at  home 
he  is  to-day.     He's  in  his  room,  sir." 

"Ah!"  ses  the  auld  gintleman,  and 
joost  thin  Miss  Claire  cum  into  the  room. 


m     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

Her  cheeks  are  flooshed  and  she  looks 
izsited  and  ankshus. 

"You  have  a  letter  for  me  papa, 
havent  you  ?**  ses  she. 

The  auld  gintleman  had  throost  the 
fat  letter  hastily  into  his  pocket.  As 
Miss  Claire  spoke  he  now  fussed  over 
the  boonch  in  his  uther  hand. 

"Let  me  see"  ses  he,  going  over  thim, 
"No — theres  nuthing  my  deer"  ses  he. 

She  seemed  so  disappoynted  that  for 
a  moment  she  joost  stared  at  the  auld 
gintleman.    Then  sVe  ses  gintly: 

*'Papa,  wasnt  there  an  English  male 
in  yisterday?" 

"I  belave  there  was"  ses  he. 
She  put  out  her  hand  impetchussly 
and  ses  she: 

"Let  me  see,  papa?" 
She  wint  over  the  letters  wan  be  wan. 
She  picked  out  wan  little  roll,  and  she 
ses: 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


177 


"Nothing—  nothing  at  all  for  me — 
ixcipt  this."  Thin  she  wint  out  from 
the  room  suddintly. 

The  auld  gintleman  looked  after  her 
wid  a  look  fool  of  compashun  and  guilt. 
Then  he  sneeked  out  of  the  room. 

"You  auld  divil!"  ses  I  to  mesilf,  "Its 
a  letter  ye've  got  in  your  pockit  for  .Miss 
Claire,  and  the  puir  thing  shull  have 
it  if  I  have  to  turn  thafe  to  get  it  for 
her." 

Wid  that  I  wint  after  the  auld  rascal. 

I  hurd  the  dure  of  Mr.  James*s  room 
shut,  and  I  wint  into  the  bathroom  ad- 
jyning,  and  wid  wan  eer  to  the  dure  I 
lissened. 

"James  "  ses  Mr.  Wolley  step- 
ping in. 

"What  the  **  began  Mr.  James 

and  I  herd  him  hopping  up  in  his  seet. 
"I*m  bizzy  father'*  ses  he.  "I  must 
get  out  this  artuckle  at  latest  by  noon 


178      THE  DIARY   OF  DELIA 

to-day"  ses  he  "What  is  it?  Whal  Is 

it?" 

"James"  ses  Mr.  Wolley,  "Fm  afrade 
yure  sister  " 

"For  hivin's  sake  father"  ses  the  lad 
"hoory  up.     Jest  what  is  it?" 

There  was  silinse  for  a  moment,  jur- 
ing  which  I  knowed  from  instink  Mr. 
Wolley  had  tuk  out  Miss  Claire's  litter 
and  shown  it  to  his  son.  I  prissed  up 
close  aginst  the  dure,  but  the  key  was 
inside  and  I  cud  see  not  a  thing.  Then 
I  herd  Mr.  Wolley  say: 

"You  see  it  is  as  we  feered.  They 
are  corry  " 

"Hauld  on!"  ses  Mr.  James  lowering 
his  voyce,  and  again  there  followed  a 
sylinse.  Suddintly  the  dure  flew  open 
and  I  fell  upon  lae  face  into  the  room. 
Mr.  James  saized  me  by  the  neck  of  me 
gown  and  hauled  me  oop. 

"Delia!"  ses  he,  "ef  I  ever  catch  you 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  m 

at  sich  a  thrick  again,  I'll— I'll  throw 
you  out  of  the  winder"  ses  he.  "Now 
git!"  ses  he,  and  I  sloonk  aff  in  shame. 

I  was  ccming  down  the  stares,  source 
looking  whare  I  wint,  whin  all  of  a 
suddint  I  seen  sumthing  which  sint  me 
hart  flying  into  me  mouth.     There  by 
the  winder  was  Miss  Claire  stritched  out 
on  the  floor.      Her  face  looked  orful 
white,  and  for  a  moment  the  dredful 
thort  cam  into  me  hed  that  the  poor 
yung  thing  was  ded.     I  screamed  wid 
frite  and  agunny.  and  I  joomped  doon 
the  rist  of  the  stares  and  rua  to  ihe  child. 
The  paper  was  on  the  floor  beside  her— 
a  torn  peece  of  noospaper  and  I  seen 
the  pincil  marks  in  blue  upon  it.  The 
family  cam  rooshing  down  whin  they 
herd  me  scream  and  at  the  site  of  Miss 
Claire  they  all  seemed  about  to  faynt  also. 
Mrs.  WoUey  guv  a  friteful  scream,  and 
Mr.  John  throo  his  arms  aboot  her  and 


180     THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA 


put  her  into  a  chare.  Mr.  James 
picked  up  the  bit  of  paper,  turned  it 
over  and  red: 

"Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barclay  Robbins  an- 
nounces the  ingagement  of  their  dorter, 
Miss  Una,  to  Mr.  Harry  Judd  Dudley, 
son  of  S.  Judd  Dudley  of  New  York. 
The  widding  will  tak  place  Choosday 
the  21st  of  October." 

There  was  silince  then,  the  hole 
family  looking  at  aich  other  and 
then  at  puir  Miss  Claire.  Then  Mr. 
WoUey  spoke,  and  his  auld  voyce 
trimbled. 

"Boys"  ses  he,  "carry  your  sister 
gintly  to  her  room." 

It  were  a  sorry  loonch  the  family  et. 
Mr.  John  scurcely  opened  his  mouth 
wanse  to  spake,  and  Mr.  James  spoke 
only  wanse.      He  sed  camly: 

"Father"  ses  he  "I've  desided  to 
refuse  the  London  corryspondunt  job." 


THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA 


181 


Mr.  Wolley  turned  feercely  upon  littie 
innersint  Billy: 

"BiUy"  ses  he,  **ef  you  play  wid  yure 
salt  at  the  table  wanse  again"  ses  he, 
"I'll  tak  me  razer  strap  to  you." 

Thin  he  tuk  2  angry  bits  at  me  rolls, 
SLV'\  stomped  oot  to  the  frunt  porth. 
Looking  out  I  seen  him  scowhng  at 
the  Dudley  house. 

Neyther  Miss  Claire  or  her  mother 
cum  doon  to  loonch. 

"Mr.  John"  ses  I  whin  all  had  left 
the  table  ixcipt  him;  "Is  Miss  Claire 
all  rite  now  ?" 

He  put  his  fingers  into  the  fingy  bowl 
and  wiped  them  thortfully. 

"I'm  going  across  the  street"  ses  he, 
"I  belave  Jane  can  make  it  all  rite"  ses 
he,  as  if  spaking  to  himsilf. 

I  was  washing  the  family  dishes  in  the 
butler's  pantry,  when  I  seen  Miss  Claire 
cum  saftly  doon  the  stares.     She'd  got 


182      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


on  a  little  pink  drissing  gown  over  her 
nite  dress  and  her  long  yillow  hare  was 
hanging  all  aboot  her.  She  seen  me 
looldng  at  her,  but  whin  I  wint  forward 
to  spake  to  her  she  made  a  little  im- 
pashunt  moshun  wid  her  hand  and  I 
stud  back.  She  wint  over  to  the  tilly- 
fone  and  guv  a  number: 

Then  I  herd  her  say: 

"Is  this  the  Planet?  Yiss,  Well  I 
want  the  idiotoryell  departmint.  Hello" 
ses  she,  "I  want  to  spake  to  Mr.  AUun — 
Allun — I  sed  AUun"  ses  she  gitting 
exsited,  and  she  spelled  the  name. 
She  wated  a  bit,  and  thin:  "Good- 
morning  Mr.  Allen"  ses  f^e,  "This  is 
Miss  WoUey—Wolley— Claire  WoUcy." 
ses  she.  "Now  lissen — annownce  me 
inga;  emint  in  to-morrow  marning's 
Planut — ^and  say  that  I  deny  it  but  its 
so"  ses  she  beginning  to  larf  hysturicuUy. 
"Whats  that?"  ses  she,  "Oh  his  name 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


183 


— ^his  name  you  said.  Why  how  silly 
of  me.  His  name  is — er — Stevin  Vandy- 
bilt.  Oh  thank  you"  ses  9he.  *'/  hope 
80  too"  ses  she.  **What8  that?  Oh 
thanks.  Yes,  yes  of  coarse  hes  wan 
of  the  Vandybilts.  Goodbye." 

She  toorned  aboot,  an  I  seen  her 
grarsp  hold  of  the  back  of  a  chare.  She 
leaned  aginst  it,  and  she  begun  to  shake, 
and  thin  she  larfed.  She  larfed  so 
hard  and  queerly  that  she  fell  upon 
her  knees.  Then  I  ran  oop  to  her,  and 
thried  to  put  me  arms  about  her,  but 
she  guv  me  a  feerce  poosh,  and  ses  she 
wid  her  eyes  flushing: 

*'I>ont  tooch  me!  Dont  dare  put 
yure  hand  upon  me.  Its  all  yure 
folt.  It  was  you  who  brort  us  the- 
gither.  It  was  you  who — Ah  haha- 
hahaha!"  ses  she,  lafing  and  crying 
thegither. 

The  widder  cam  in  wid  Mr.  John 


184     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


and  she  nm  over  to  Miss  Claire  wid 
her  arms  spred  out. 

**0  me  deer!  me  deer!"  aea  she,  *'I 
womed  you — told  you." 

But  Miss  Claire  has  cum  back  to  her 
sinses. 

**Mrs.  Bangs'*  ses  she  **I  am  not  in 
need  of  inny  sympithy.  Exeuse  me. 
Good  maming"  ses  she,  and  wint  up 
the  stares  and  back  to  her  room.  We 
hurd  the  dure  banged  tite. 

The  widder  burst  into  teers,  and  as  fur 
roe,  puir  loan  onhappy  crachure  that  I 
be  I  betuk  mesilf  to  me  ritthed  kitchen  and 
cryed  me  hart  out  into  me  dane  starched 
table  ^un. 

I  ihcd  the  day  wud  niver  ind  and 
whin  the  Frinch  charfer  from  the  Dud- 
leys came  over,  its  small  eers  I  had  for 
his  foine  spache. 

"Museer"  ses  I  "its  a  hart  broken 
wumman  I  am,  and  its  small  cumfut 


THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA  185 


I*m  taking  in  yer  perlite  langwige 
tonitp." 

"Mumsell  Delia"  aes  he,  **belave  me 
on  me  sacred  onor,  I  adoar  you  wid  me 
hart  and  soal.    Be  mine'*  ses  he. 

Mr.  Mulvaiiey  earning  in  joost  thin, 
guv  a  larf  at  the  Frinchman,  which  made 
the  puir  museer  furyiss. 

**Mumsell"  ses  he,  "I  be  not  of  the 
for  chune  hoonting  sort  as  yere  frind 
there"  ses  he. 

"Whats  that  ye're  after  saying"  ses 
Larry,  at  wanse.  "Did  you  spake  me 
name?"  ses  he. 

The  Frinchman  stud  his  grownd 
bravely,  and  droring  himsilf  prowily 
up  faced  Mr.  Moolvaney  wid  a  stare. 

"Jaccuse"  ses  he,  "Museer  Mulvaney 
of  wooing  the  lady  wid  his  eye  on  her 
forchune.  Jaccuse" — ses  he,  but  Mr. 
Mulvaney  had  him  by  the  collar  of  his 
coat  and  mtiseer  was  setting  outside  on 


186     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

the  Ion  befure  I  cud  rise  to  protist.  Whin 
Mr.  Mulvaney  cam  back  I*m  that  in- 
sinsed  wid  his  avil  manners  and  the 

revylashun  of  his  meen  and  greedy  car- 
acter  that  I  skurcely  cud  aven  look  at 
him. 

"Mr.  Mulvaney"  ses  I  "its  a  puir 
hard  working  girl  I  am,  and  its  a  mistake 
*ye're  making  in  yure  for  chune  hoonting 
hail  whin  ye  think  I'm  after  being  rich. 
Ah  go!"  ses  I,  "I'm  doon  wid  avery 
wan  of  you." 

And  I  wint  opp  to  me  milincuUy 
room,  me  hart  sore  and  aking,  for  Miss 
Claire  do  be  hating  me  feercely  now, 
and  Larry  Mulvaney  is  no  better  than 
the  Frinchman,  but  is  after  me  puir 
bit  of  forchune.  Ah  wirrah,  wirrah, 
wirrah!  lis  a  sorry  day  whin  me 
muther  bore  me. 


CHAPTER  XXVn 


THE  NEXT  DAT 

MISS  Claire  was  down  at  brekfust 
brite  and  airly.  I  seen  her  set- 
ting at  her  plate — ^waiting  for  the  family 
to  appeer.  Her  eyes  and  cheeks  wuz 
unnatshully  bnte. 

Mr.  John  cam  in  first.  He  wint 
over  to  her  chare  and  guv  her  a  rell 
luving  kiss. 

"Go  to  your  sect  John"  ses  she  "I*ve 
sumthing  to  show  you."  Wid  that 
she  pushes  over  the  paper  to  him  and 
intercates  a  place  wid  her  finger. 

"Claire!"  ses  he  starting  oop  "My 
dear  girl,"  ses  he,  "whot  on  airth  doos 
this  mane." 

Jist  thin  Mr.  James  cum  in  and  Mr. 
WoUey  dose  on  his  heels — ^Mjss  Claire 

187 


188      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


picked  up  the  paper  and  parsses  it  along 
gayly  to  Mr.  James  saying  as  she  diiss 

so: 

"It's  only  the  enouncemint  of  me 
ingagement"  ses  she. 

"The  wh>t!"  ses  Mr.  WoUey. 

Mr.  James'  face  looked  iired  and 
haggard  and  his  big  eyes  have  lost  there 
fighting  look.  He  turned  them  orlmost 
sadly  on  his  sister. 

"Claire,"  ses  he,  "you're— you're  act- 
ing hastily,"  ses  he. 

"Not  at  all,"  ses  she,  smiling— over 
her  cup  of  corfee.  "Fve  nown  Mr. 
Vandybilt  iver  since  I  wuz  at  Vassa. 
I  niver  told  any  of  you  aboot  it — ^but — 
but — ^we've  practically  bin  ingaged — ^fer 
yeers — thet  is  not  formally." 

The  family  sed  nothing  and  I  wint 
to  ansser  the  door  as  the  bell  wuz  nnging 
furyissly.  The  widder  cum  in  and  wint 
widout  being  invited  strate  to  the  dining- 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


189 


room.  She  also  has  a  paper  in  her 
hand  and  widout  a  word  to  the  rest  of 
the  famly  she  pulled  oop  a  chare  and 

sat  doon  beside  Miss  Claire. 

"Claire**  ses  she  **I  had  just  finished 
reeding  a  letter  from  Una  Robbins  when- 
I  chanced  to  glance  at  me  paper.  I 
saw  the  announcemint.     ChUd,  whot^ 
does  it  meen  ?  '* 

"Why,"  ses  Miss  Claire  smiling  brill- 
yuntly — ^**Exackly  whot  it  ses." 

The  widder  luked  soospishus  and  thin 
she  ses  wid  emfasis: 

"Well  1*11  not  congratulate  you.  It's 
a  mistake — all  rong/*  ses  she,  "Oh 
deer!  oh  deer!    Oh  deer!" 

She  turned  suddintly  upon  Mr.  James. 

"Jimmy/*  ses  she,  "I  notissed  just 
now  when  I  minshuned  the  name  of 
Una  Robbins  that  you  winced  a  bit. 
Now  look  here  boy**  ses  she  "Una  may 
be  ingf  .ged  to  Harry — and  she  may  marry 


100     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


him  too — but  let  me  tell  you"  ses  she, 
"a  girl  who's  ingaged  to  wan  man  and 
rites  ten  pages  about  anuther  man  to  a 
frind  is  worth  invistygating.  Take  my 
advice,  Jimmy  deer,"  ses  she  **and  go 
to  Londoon  town  post  haste.  What 
are  y<m  doing  Claire?"  ses  she,  for  the 
girl  has  gone  to  the  desk  in  the  hall  and 
is  marking  the  paper  wid  a  red  pencil. 
She  rolled  it  oop  and  rote  upon  the 
cover,  thin  she  wint  over  to  her  father — 
"Papa!"  ses  she,  "There's  my  mail. 
Hurry  it  aflf,  won't  you,"  ses  she. 


I 


I 

li 

i 

CHAPTER  XXVm 

NEXT  DAY 

I WAS  doing  up  the  bed  in  Mr.  Wol- 
ley's  room  whin  Miss  Claire  walked 
in.  She  wint  into  her  father's  closet 
and  cam  out  wid  her  arms  fool  of  his 
cotes.  These  she  set  on  the  bed  and 
camly  wint  to  wark  sarching  throe  his 
pockits.  After  a  bit  she  cam  upon 
what  shes  looking  for — ^the  fat  litter 
which  arrived  yisterday.  She  held  it 
in  her  hand  a  sicond  her  eyes  clos- 
ing cop.  Thin  suddintly  she  wint 
over  to  the  fire  place.  She  toar 
the  litter  acrosst,  invillip  and  all,  then 
neeling  throo  it  into  the  grate  and 
set  it  on  fire.  Joost  thin  her  father 
cam  in,  and  she  looked  oop  at  him 
and  smiles. 

m 


m     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

"Why  Claire"  ses  he,  "what  are 
you  doing?" 

"Papa"  sea  she,  "sumthing  told  me 
that  h€  had  ritten.  I  soospected  you 
yisterday.  I've  just  been  burning  the 
litter.  Hereafter  papa"  ses  she,  "whin 
anny  more  such  litters  cum,  trate  thim 
in  the  same  way — bum  thim — bum  them 
— bum  them**  ses  she. 

Thin  she  stared  up  at  him  wid  her 
cheeks  all  red  and  feverish,  and  she 
cryed  out  suddintly,  "Oh  papa!  papa!" 
ses  she,  crowched  doon  on  the  harth 
and  sobbed  wid  her  face  all  oon- 
cuwered  and  the  teers  joost  poring 
down. 

"My  puir  Ciaure!"  ses  the  auld  man 
brokenly;  then  he  seen  me  and  spoke 

in  a  feerce  voyce: 

"Lave  the  room  Delia!"  ses  he. 

This  arfternoon  Mrs.  WoUey  cum 
dcwn  to  the  kitchen.    She's  very  %ilty 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


193 


and  nerviss  and  she  skurce  looked  me 
in  the  face  at  all. 

"Delia"  ses  she,  "yure  moonth  is 
oop  on  the  18th.  We've  decided  to 
let  you  go." 

I  cudn't  spake  at  all  fur  the  loomp  in 
me  mouth.  I  wint  to  the  sink  and 
foosed  aboot  wid  the  dishes. 

Mrs.  Wolley  continued  unasily. 

"You  understand  Delia"  ses  she, 
"we've  no  complaint  to  make  aboot 
you.  You're  a  good  cook  and  ex- 
cellent in  ivery  way — but  Claire — 
Claire  isn't  very  well  and  we  must 
humour  the  child.  The  fack  is  Delia, 
the  veiy  site  of  you  seems  to  recall 
a  sartin  unplissant  person  to  her  mim- 
mry." 

"Oh  ma'am,"  ses  I,  "indade  I  wud 
cut  me  hed  orf  for  Miss  Claire,  "but 
indade,"  ses  I,  "it's  sad  I'd  be  to  lave 
the  child  as  such  a  time.     Let  me 


IM     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


stay  ma'am,  if  oanly  till  ye  go  to  town 
in  October." 

*'No"  ses  she,  shaking  her  hed,  "it's 
better  not" 

I  set  down  and  thort  the  matter  over. 
Why  shud  I  be  turned  out  in  this  fashun 
ses  I  to  mesilf.  It's  a  shame,  a  crool 
shame  it  is.  It  was  thin  Mr.  Mulvaney 
cum  sontring  in  and  befure  I  know  wat 
I'm  about  I*m  telling  hun  the  story  of 
me  sorrers. 

"Bad  cess  to  thim  all!"  ses  he,  "they 
desarve  to  lose  a  fine  girl  like  you,  Delia, 
and  if  ye'd  lissen  to  my  airging  it's 
laving  thim  ye'd  be  to-day  and  stipping 
wid  me  over  to  Father  Dugan's.  These 
Wolleys  do  be  a  trubblesum  famly.  Shure 
they've  toorned  the  hole  poynt  oopside 
doon  wid  thrubble.  I  heer  that  the 
Robbins  are  arfter  being  beside  thim- 
silves  wid  feer  of  Mr.  James.  Now 
Delia"  ses  he,  "ef  ye'U  not  be  heering 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  IM 

to  the  praste,  thin  it's  anuther  bit  of 
advice  I'm  arfter  giving  you.  Stip 
across  to  the  Widdy  Bangs'  lumse/' 
ses  he,  "and  tell  her  your  thrubbles," 

ses  he.  "I'll  bet  me  job  aginst  the 
Frinchman's  that  she'll  fix  you  all  rite 
wid  the  family." 

So  I  wint  ove^  to  the  widdys  house» 
A  spoonky  little  cuUoured  maid  opened 
the  frunt  dure.  She  guv  a  luk  at  me 
face — ^ignoring  me  best  clothes  on  me 
body  and  ses  she: 

"Go  to  the  back  dure,"  ses  she.  "/ 
recave  me  collars  there." 

"It's  Mrs.  Bangs"  ses  I  "I  want  to  see. 

"Mrs.  Bangs,'*  ses  she,  "is  ingaged 
wid  Mr.  WoUey. " 

I  heerd  the  widdy's  voyce  inside  and 
prisintly  she  cum  cot  and  ses: 

"Hog  is  it  Lilly,"  ses  she,  (My  God! 
The  Nigger's  name  was  Lilly  and  she 
black  as  hell). 


IM     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

••Why,  it's  Delia!*'  sea  the  widdy. 
••Can  I  spake  to  you  a  minmt,  mamr 

ses  I. 

"Why  certinly  Delia.     Whot  is  it, 
ses  she. 

I  wint  to  throw  me  apnin  over  me  hed 
but  fownd  rd  left  it  at  home,  so  I  set  up 
a  paneful  cry  widout  it.  "Oh  winrah! 
wirrah!'*  ses  I,  "it  wuz  an  avil  day  whin 
I  crossed  the  oshun.  Oh  mam"  sez 
I,  "it's  a  cruel  warld  and  peeple  do  be 
hard  on  a  poor  hardwarking  crachure 
wid  niver  a  frind  in  the  world." 

The  widdy  looked  as  if  she  were  aboot 
to  larf,  but  she's  that  sprry  fer  me  she 
controlled  hersilf.  She  poot  her  hand 
on  me  shoulder  and  ses  she  kindly: 

«  Cum!    What  is  it,  Delia  ?  my  deer  ?" 

••Mrs.  Wolley  do  be  arfter  firing  me, 
Mrs.  Bangs,"  ses  I,  "and  all  because 
I'm  od>iss  in  the  site  of  Miss  Claire  and 
all  'jecause  I  hilped  her  meet  Mr.  Harry 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  197 

Doodly — the  cruool  faithless  good-for- 
nothing  villyun"  see  I. 

''You  poor  crachure,"  ses  she,  "and 
you  want  me  to  spake  fur  you.  Why» 
of  coorse  I  will.  I'll  go  rite  over  and 
appeel  to  Claire's  sinse  of  justiss." 

Whin  I  was  gitting  ondrissed  to-nite 
I  herd  me  dure  opening,  and  I  guy  a 
lowd  yill,  fer  I'm  in  me  chinmiy  aloan. 
As  Miss  Clair  cum  in,  I  rooshed  into 
me  closet,  and  I  spoak  to  the  child  frum 
behind  the  harf  closed  dure. 

"What  is  it  darlint?"  ses  I  "Its 
ashamed  I  am  fur  you  to  see  me  in  dis- 
habeel  and  me  wid  twinty  bunyuns  on 
me  feet  and  moles  on  me  ligs  and  arms. 
What  is  it  swatehart?" 

"Delia"  ses  she  in  the  gintlest  voyce, 
"Plase  forgive  me  for  my  croolty  and 
ingratichude.  I've  been  thortless  and 
oongrateful  too"  ses  she,  spaking  into 
the  doset,  "for  aven  oonder  the  sir- 


II 


106     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

cumstuiues  I  dont  regret— Harry.  So 
you'll  itay— won't  you  Delia?"  ses  slie. 

"Stay  miss?*'  ses  I,  "Why  dariint 
you  cuddent  roon  me  out  wid  a  steem 
roller." 


CHAPTEB  XXIX 


ANOTHER  DAT 

IT  DO  be  thray  weeks  to-day  sinse 
Miss  Claire's  after  announsiiig  her 

ingagemint  to  Mr.  Vandybilt.  The 
family  kept  silinse  upon  the  subjeck. 
Its  a  straynge  and  sad  house  its  after 
being  now. 

Both  Mr.  John  and  James  wint  back 
to  there  rayspictif  places  in  the  city  on 
Siptimber  1st  after  having  spint  the 
intyre  summer  doing  there  fine  riting 
at  the  hoose. 

Mr.  James  do  be  a  famiss  riter  and 
theres  hardly  a  paper  pooblished  but 
has  a  pichure  of  himself  looking  out 
frum  the  frunt  page,  bauld  and  agrissive 
looking,  for  shure  the  lad  do  have  his 
back  oop  aginst  the  intyre  warld.  Hes 

199 


200      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

joyned  the  Soshilist  and  Anykist  ordher 
I'm  after  reeding  in  the  papers,  and  its 
intinded  by  him  (ses  wan  of  the  papers, 
which  always  nos  a  person's  plans  befure 
there  made)  to  live  in  the  slooms  for  the 
rist  of  his  life,  devoating  himsilf  to  sittle- 
mint  wark  amang  the  Rooshin  Jews. 

Mr.  Wolley's  masheen  break  down 
aboot  a  fortnite  ago,  and  the  auld  gintle- 
man  is  like  a  child  widout  his  favrite  toy. 
He  do  be  wayting  ivery  day  for  the  new 
carbureater  to  arrive,  and  manewile  he 
spinds  all  his  time  fooling  aboot  wid  the 
mashen  that  isn't  rooning  anny  longer. 
Mrs.  WoUey  has  dridful  narviss  hidakes, 
injooced  so  she  told  me  in  confydunse 
as  mooch  by  her  wurry  over  Miss  Claire 
as  frum  anny  uther  cause. 

As  for  Miss  Claire  hersilf.  Puir 
child!  She  do  be  that  quite  and  shrinking 
in  her  ways.  Theres  skurcely  a  site  I'm 
getting  of  the  child  ixcipt  at  meal  times. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  «01 

Its  not  warth  intering  up  the  milin- 
cuUy  ivints  of  the  sad  days,  and  shure 
I'll  be  glad  inde'^e  whm  we  move  back 
to  town  in  a  few  weeks  now. 

There  be  o  troo  '<iies  abownding 
in  this  sad  and  loansuin  country,  for  the 
Nites  are  an  avarashus  lot.  Since  the 
news  wint  abrord  that  I'm  having  me 
little  bit  of  forchune  in  the  bank,  I've 
been  pestered  wid  the  dummed  forchune 
hoonters  till  I  begin  to  look  wid  soos- 
pischun  on  ivery  dummed  man  that 
spakes  to  me  at  all. 

Ah,  its  a  sad  thing  to  be  ritch  in 
these  days,  for  the  lads  cum  acoorting 
wid  wan  eye  on  yere  pockit  and  the  ither 
on  yere  face.  Since  museer  infarmed 
me  of  the  greedy  hart  of  Mr.  Mulvaney 
its  never  a  sivil  waid  I've  handed  the 
tad  since,  and  he  pretinding  to  be  beside 
himsilf  wid  distrhress  and  begging  me 
ivery  day  to  go  wid  him  to  the  praste. 


9M      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


"Mr.  Mulvaney"  ses  I,  "whin  Delia 
O'Malley  is  reddy  to  many  she'll  be 
choosing  a  thrifty  lad  wid  a  forchune 
larger  than  her  own.  Do  you  tak  me 
for  a  nigger  ?'*  arsks  I.  " Ivery  dummed 
one  of  those  unforchunt  crachures  do  be 
washing  after  marruge,  handing  over 
there  hardairned  wages  to  the  cauld- 
harted  goomps  theyve  been  loonyticks 
enuff  to  marry.  Larry  Mulvaney"  ses 
I,  "Its  a  smart  lad  ye  are,  but  Delia 
O'Malley  sees  tliroo  yere  thricks." 

"Delia,  me  darlint'*  ses  he,  wid  such 
aimestness  I'm  almost  like  to  belave 
him,  "I  wish"  ses  he,  "ye'd  tak  yere 
munney  frum  the  bank  and  drap  it  into 
the  well"  ses  he.  "Its  you  1  want" 
ses  he,  "not  yer  auld  munney." 

"Mr.  Mulvaney"  ses  I  cauldly,  "Anny 
wan  but  an  eediot"  ses  1  "cud  fish  up  a 
bit  of  munney  put  doon  in  a  well." 

To  musseer  I  likewise  ixprissed  mesilf 


THfi  DIARY  OF  DELIA  «03 

consarning  forchune  hoonters  in  gineral 
and  lurringer  in  pertickler. 

"Museer"  ses  I  "I  oonderstand  its 
the  custum  in  y  -re  cuntry  for  the  wimmen 
to  guv  over  there  bit  of  a  forchune  to 
there  worthliss  hoosbunds?" 

"May  but  me  share  Mumsill  Delia" 
ses  he,  **Is  it  not  thin  a  grand  custom? 
Think  sharee"  ses  he,  "Hoo  shud  be 
the  custoadyun  of  the  joynt  wilth  of  such 
a  onion  if  not  the  hed  of  the  family. 
Why  sharee"  ses  he,  sharee  being  Frinch 
for  mavorneen,  "It  is  as  it  shud  be." 

"Museer"  ses  I,  "I  may  be  auld- 
fashuned,  but  I  shtand  here  riddy  to 
state,  the  following  facks.  Fm  a  hard 
warking  girl  and  befure  Fd  see  me  hard 
aimed  savings  parss  into  the  hands  of  a 
good-fur-nothing  disiloot  Frinch  husbund 
I'd  throw  it  into  purgatry  and  burn  it  oop 
insted.  Good  maming  museer"  ses  I  "Will 
you  plase  ixcuse  me  this  aYening."  , 


CHAPTER  XXX 


A  WEEK  LATEB 

I GOT  ap  this  marning  at  seven. 
While  wiping  me  face  after  giving 
it  a  good  sousing  wid  warter,  I  chanst 
to  look  from  me  winder.  I  seen  the 
rane  poaring  down  frum  a  gray  and 
milincully  sky. 

"Its  a  sad  day  its  going  to  be  to-day** 
ses  I  to  mesilf,  little  noing  the  throoth 
of  the  matter.  The  day  itsilf  to  be 
shure  passed  away  as  yushil.  I  warked 
and  cooked.  The  family  et.  The 
house  looked  dark  and  gloomy,  and  I 
belave  it  cheered  us  all  up  a  bit  whin 
I*m  toorning  on  the  lites. 

After  dinner  I  planned  to  rite  to 
Minny,  and  so  was  hurrying  throe  the 
washing  of  me  pots  and  pans  in  the  sink 


S06     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


whin  I  herd  me  bastemint  dure  open 
and  close  wid  a  bang»  and  ses  I  to  me- 
silf:  "Its  that  bauld  Larry  Mulvaney 
walking  into  me  kitchin  widout  the 
dacinsy  aven  of  nocking.'*  So  I  kipt  me 
contemshus  back  toorned  aven  whin  the 
stips  cam  along  throo  the  bastemint 
hall  and  paused  at  me  kitchin  dure. 
Thin  I  herd  a  voyce  spaking  me  name. 
"Delia!" 

I  toorned  aboot,  and  thin  I  lit  out  a 
turrible  yell  which  I  shoot  up  quickly  be 
throosting  me  dishcloth  into  me  open 
mouth.  For  there  sthtanding  in  me 
kitchin,  his  long  coat  dripping  wid  water, 
the  collar  toorned  up  about  his  eers,  and 
his  soft  filt  hat  pooled  doon  over  his  eyes 
waa  Mr.  Harry  Dudley  himsilf.  His 
eyes  looked  straynge,  and  his  face  was  all 
oonshavin  aboot  the  chin.  He  cum 
tords  me  quickly  and  clapped  his  hand  on 
me  showlder.     If  I  hadent  recknissed 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  807 


the  lad,  shure  I*d  be  taking  him  for  a 
thramp. 

"Go  upstares"  ses  he,  "and  bring 
Claire— Miss  Wolley  doon.  I  want" 
ses  he,  "to  see  her  at  wanse." 

"Yes  sir"  ses  I  trimbling  wid  excite- 
mint,  for  he  do  have  the  wild  look  of  a 
mainyack  in  his  eye. 

I  rooshed  up  the  stares  to  Miss  Claires 
room,  and  f  orgitting  to  nock  wint  in. 
"Miss  Claire"  ses  I,  me  breth  cuming 
in  gasps,"  "w-wud  ye  be  so  kind  to  step 
into  me  kitchin  a  moment." 

She  stud  up,  looking  at  me  surprysed 
and  bewildyed. 

"Whats  the  matter  Delia?"  ses  she. 

"Plase  hilp  me.  Miss  Claire"  ses  I 
"For  God's  sake"  ses  I  gitting  excited, 
"cum  down  at  wanse." 

"Are  you  and  Larry  fighting  again" 
ses  she.  "What  can  I  do  this  time?" 
ses  she,  but  she  let  me  lead  her  along 


208     THE  DIABY  OF  DELIA 

doon  the  stares,  and  thegither  we  cum 
to  the  bastmint.  Me  kitchin  dure  was 
open  and  I  belave  she  seen  Mr.  Harry 
setting  there  befure  shes  cum  into  the 
room,  fur  all  of  a  suddint  she  guv  a 
turrible  start  and  pulled  away  frum  me 
arm,  trying  to  go  back  oop  the  stares. 
At  that  I  called: 

"Mr.  Harry!"  and  then  he  stud  up, 
and  she  wint  slowly  tord  him.  They 
stud  for  a  moment  looking  at  aich  uther 
widout  spaking  a  wurd.  Then  he  tuk 
his  hat  aff  and  put  it  on  the  table,  and 
she  thried  to  spake  and  cuddent  say  a 
ward.  I  seen  her  looking  wid  horror 
at  his  dripping  clothes  and  wite  haggud 
face,  and  I  belave  she  guv  a  little  sob  for 
so  it  sownded.  Thin  he  spake  in  a  saft 
voyce,  looking  at  her  full  in  the  eyes. 

"Claire"  ses  he  "I  took  a  boat  back 
fur  home  harf  an  hour  after  yure  letter 
and  that— that— cursed  paper  came"  ses 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  800 


he.  Thin  he  slapped  a  bit.  "I've 
cum  up  strate  from  the  steemer  now. 
I  havent  been  home.  Tell  me  the 
trooth"  ses  he.  "Why  did  you  treat 
me  in  that  way  ?**  ses  he. 

She  did  not  ansser,  but  the  cohir  cum 
back  to  her  pale  face  and  she  raysed  up 
her  hed  prowdly. 

"Am  I  to  belave"  ses  he  "that  you 
wud  throw  me  over  for  a  chap  wid  more 
munney.  Claire!"  He  wint  a  step 
tord  her,  his  hands  hild  out.  "For 
God's  sake"  ses  he  "tell  me  that  it  is 
all  sum  horribul  mistake." 

She  wint  back  frum  him. 

"Mr.  Dudley"  ses  she.  "I  quistshun 
yure  rite  to  inquire  into  me  affares,  but 
if  you  wish  me  simply  to  verryfy  the 
annowncemint  of  me  ingagemint  to  Mr. 
Vandybilt,  I  do  so." 

He  guv  a  grone,  and  set  down  in  the 
chare,  leening  forward  wid  his  hands 


tlO      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

prissed  thegither.  Miss  Claire  stud 
there  cauldly,  but  she  did  not  look  at 
Mr.  Harry  anny  more. 

Suddintly  he  throo  back  his  hed  and 
guv  a  Kttle  larf.  Thin  he  got  up  and 
picked  up  his  hat  and  moved  tord  the 
dure. 

"Stop!"  ses  Miss  Claire,  tooming 
rownd  suddintly,  "wait  wan  minit'*  ses 
she.  "Ansser  me  this  Mr.  Dudley," 
ses  she.  "What  rite  have  you,  an 
ingaged  man,  tt  'pake  to  me  in  such  a 

"What  rite  have  J"  ses  he,  looking 
biterly  amoosed  "Yes"  ses  he,  "throo, 
I  was  mgaged  w:  ce,  Miss  Wolley.  I 
beiave"  ses  he,  "I  guv  you  me  muther's 
ring." 

"No!"  ses  she,  and  her  voyce  rung 
out  pashunutly  "Not  that!  I  dont  meen 
that  ingagemint— €f  you  considered  it 
ever  such"  ses  she,  and  her  voyce  catched 


THE   DIARY  OF  DELIA  ill 

oop  in  her  throte  which  she  hild  wid  her 
hand,  "I  mean'*  ses  she,  **yure  ingage- 
mint  to  Una  Robh'ns.     You  " 

He  looked  so  flabbygasted  that  she 
stopped. 

"What  do  you  mean?*'  ses  he. 

"Oh  you  know,  you  know**  ses  she. 
"Befure  you  were  gone  a  fortnite"  ses 
she  "yure  ingagemint  was  annownced.*' 

**My  ingage  Claire!'*  ses  he  hcrsely, 

and  he  saized  hold  of  her  hand  vilintly. 
"Theres  sum  misurable  mistake.  You've 
been  misled,  desaved." 

"No,  no,  no**  ses  she  struggling  to 
free  her  hands,  which  he  let  go  sud- 
dintly.  "It  was  annownsed**  ses  she. 
"You  know  it.    You  know  it." 

"Annownced  whare?'*  ses  he  cauldly. 

"In  the  London  Queen.** 

"When!" 

"Idont  ** 

It  was  thin  I  spoke  up,  for  I'd  taken 


sit      THE  piARY  OF  DELIA 

the  paper  frura  the  recipshun  ball  the 
day  Miss  Claire  faynted,  intinding  to 
burn  the  dummed  thing.  I  now  guv 
it  to  Mp.  Hanry.  He  tooraed  it  over 
contemshusly.  Thin  he  guv  the  paper 
a  long  scrootiny.  Finally  he  looked 
up  and  fixed  his  eyes  on  Miss  Claire. 
His  voyce  is  very  cam  and  quiet. 

"This  notiss'*  ses  he,  "was  published 
exactly  three  and  a  half  yeers  ago.  If 
you  had  aven  taken  the  thrubble  to  ex- 
amine the  paper  you  wud  have  seen 
that,  aven  tho  the  date  is  torn  aflf.  Thank 
you  for  your  faith  in  me"  ses  he.  "Who 
sent  this  I  do  not  no.  Probably  my 
father.  And  now"  ses  he  "theres 
nothing  more  to  say.  I  hope  you  will 
be  happy  Claire.  I  dont  know  Vandy- 
bilt"  ses  he,  "but— still  I  hope  you  will 
be  happy.  Good-nite"  ses  he,  and  he 
wint  oot  of  the  dure,  widout  looking  at 
her  again.     I  see  .  her  wake  oop  like 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


913 


wan  coming  out  of  a  transe.     She  guv 

ii  little  moan,  and  thin  she  wint  following 
after  him  to  the  hall. 

**  Harry!  Harry!**  ske  called  in 
the  dark.  I  herd  him  alop  abort,  and 
thin  her  voyce  agin.  **C^  ^M^jive  wj" 
ses  she.  "I — I— faywle^  at  the  time. 
I  never  saw  the  j)aj)«  r  again.  My — 
my  hart  was  broken,  for  I  loved  you  so — 
I  love  you  vet'*  ses  she. 

And  thin  I  hei4  him  jot  .  >  lord  her. 

"But  yure  ingagoaint  to  VandylMlt" 
ses  he  horsely. 

"Theres  no  Mr.  Vandybilt"  ses  ^e, 
"I — made  it  up"  ses  she,  and  then  she 
stopped  spaking  and  crying  too  for  he's 
got  his  anns  aboot  her  and  her  lips 
closed  oc^  wid  his. 

I  toonied  away  and  sdbbed.  How 
long  they  stud  I  do  not  know,  but  it  was 
a  long  time  whin  finally  he  starts  to 
spake  again: 


214      THE   DIARY   OF  DELIA 

"Claire— my  darlint!"  ses  he,  and  thin 
again  they  are  silint. 
Then  after  awile. 

"What  will  we  do?"  ses  she,  "we— 
we  cant  give  aich  uther  up  now." 

He  larfed  like  a  boy. 

"Give  aich  uther  up"  ses  he,  "Why 
we  belong  to  aich  uther.  Now  lissen 
darlint.  I  havent  a  cent  to  me  name. 
Dad  has  kept  me  practicuUy  pinnyliss 
lately,  but  I  maniged  to  borrer  enuflF  to 
git  back  here.  I've  niver  dun  a  stroke 
of  work  in  me  life,  but  Fve  a  good  ijji- 
cashun— I'm  yung,  strong  and  willing. 
I've  been  offered  a  job  out  West  wid  a 
stepbruther  of  me  muther's,  and  we'll 
go  there  as  soon  as  I  can  rayse  the 
munney  to  take  us.  Oh  my  little 
love"  ses  he,  "I  only  wish  I  cud  take 
you  away  to-nite  and  kape  you  wid 
me  allways." 

"Take  me — ^take  me  Harry"  ses  she. 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  915 


clinging  about  his  neck,  "Let  us  go 
tonite." 

"I  wish  we  cud"  ses  he,  "but  look," 
and  he  drew  her  into  the  lite  of  me 
kitchin  and  toorned  out  all  his  pockits 
and  showd  her  how  imty  they  was.  It 
was  then  a  brillyunt  thort  cum  into  the 
hed  of  Delia  O'Malley. 

"Mr.  Harry"  ses  I  interrupting,  "will 
you  be  excoosing  me  for  putting  a 
quischun  ?" 

"What  is  it  Delia"  ses  he  kindly. 

"How  mooch  is  it  ye're  nading?" 

ses  I. 
He  smiled. 

"A  few  hundred  only"  ses  he.  "Jest 
enuff  for  our  imejit  ixpinses.  Its  absurd 
but  I  havent  a  red  cent"  ses  he.  "I'll 
borrer  or  steel  it  if  I  have  to"  ses  he, 
trying  to  larf,  the  puir  lad. 

"  Mr.  Dudley"  ses  I,  "Will  ye  be  doing 
a  puir  loan  hardwarking  girl  a  favour?'* 


216      THE   DIARY   OF  DELIA 


"Why  certinly"  ses  he.  "What  can 
I  do  for  you  ?" 

"Its  siven  hundred  dollars  I*m  after 
having  in  me  stocking.  I  droo  it  oot  of 
the  bank  oanly  a  day  or  two  ago,  fur  the 
dummed  welth  do  be  the  bane  of  me 
existunse.  Shure  1*11  niwer  know  anny 
pace  of  mind  so  long  as  I*m  ritch  Mr. 
Mulvaney  do  protist  that  he  wishes  me 
munney  soonk  in  hell,  and  museer  is 
after  saying  he  loves  me  better  than  me 
bagatell.  Its  tisting  the  lads  Fd  be 
doing,  and  ef  ye'll  do  me  the  favour  of 
accipting  me  bit  of  munney  " 

"Oh  Delia!"  ses  Miss  Claire. 

"No,  no"  ses  Mr.  Harry  at  wanse, 
but  she  pulled  down  his  face,  and  wis- 
pered  in  his  eer,  and  suddintly  he  toomed 
and  beemed  at  me. 

"Very  good!  Delia"  ses  he,  "guv  me 
the  munney." 

I  wint  into  the  china  closet  and  tuk 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  £17 


it  from  me  stocking — thin  I  brort  it 
over  to  Mr.  Harry.  He  hild  on  to  me 
hand  arfter  taking  it,  and  his  voyce 
trimbled  a  bit. 

"Yere  a  foine  woman"  ses  he,  "and 
its  a  lucky  chap  who  gets  you.  Your 
bit  of  munney"  ses  he,  "will  be  ten 
times  its  size  whin  it  reeches  you 
again." 

"Now  Claire  darlint"  ses  he,  and  he 
looks  at  her  wid  shining  eyes,  h-.rs  smil- 
ing back  at  him,  "  Will  you  go  wid  me — 
UMiiief" 

"Give  me  five  minits"  ses  she,  smil- 
ing  saftly,  "to  get  me  hat  and  coat." 

"  Make  it  2"  ses  he,  and  let  her  go. 

He  put  his  watch  on  the  table.  Aif  ter 
a  sicond: 

"One  minit!"  ses  he,  and  woches  the 
stares.      "One  and  a  harf"  ses  he, 

and  joost  thin  the  bastemint  dure  bel? 
rung,  and  I  let  in  both  museer  and 


218      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


Larry  Mulvaney,  pushing  and  ilboing 
by  aich  uther. 

"Two  minuts"  scs  Mr.  Harry,  and 
then  we  herd  the  dure  on  top  of  the 
bastemint  steps  open,  and  Miss  Claire 
cum  steeling  down,  her  coat  and  hat  in 
her  hand. 

"They  are  all  in  there  rooms"  ses  she 
wispering.  Then  she  seen  Museer  and 
Larry,  both  of  them  wid  there  mouths 
and  eyes  gaping  at  Mr.  Hany.  He 
was  smiling  quarely  and  he  toomed  to 
museer: 

"Alfonse!"  ses  he,  "ye've  arrived  in 
the  nich  of  time.  I  want  you"  ses  he 
"to  go  back  to  our  place  and  get  riddy 
the  big  Pinkard.     We'll  be  over  in  a 

sicond." 

Museer  bowed,  but  he  histated  a 
minit. 

"Well?"  ses  Mr.  Harry,  "What  are 
you  waiting  for?" 


THE  DIARY   OF   DELIA  210 

"Whare  is  it  Museer  wishes  to  go" 
ses  the  Frinchman  rubbing  his  hands 
narvissly  thegither,  and  giving  a  look 
at  Miss  Claire. 

"To  New  Rosette"  ses  Mr.  Harry 
smiling,  "I  know  a  parson  there"  ses 
he,  "will  do  it  in  a  jiffy.  His  name's 
Hammond"  ses  he,  and  then  suddintly 
he  turned  tord  me.  "And  by  the  way 
Alforise"  ses  he,  "Puir  Delia  here  will 
be  ixpicting  you  back  airly.  Shes  lost 
her  little  forchune. " 

"Mon  Joor!  Sacrey!  Dam!"  ses 
Museer  and  looked  at  me  wid  his  eyes 
boolging,  then  he  stamped  oot,  swaring 
tarribly  in  Frinch. 

Larry  guv  me  wan  look,  then  he  begun 
to  wissel,  excusing  himsilf  a  moment 
alter  to  Miss  Claire. 

Mr.  Harry  hilped  Miss  Claire  on  wid 
her  coat,  and  buttoned  it  up  snug  to  her 
chin.     "For"  ses  he  "its  cold  and 


m     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

raining,  and  we  have  quite  a  trip  to  make" 
sea  he. 

Thin  we  all  started  out  f rum  the  house 
Mr.  Dudley  almost  carrying  Miss  Claire 
over  the  wet  Ion  and  Larry  Mulvaney 
grasping  me  titely  by  the  arm. 

We  got  into  the  Dudley  driveway 
and  cum  up  bef  ure  the  grate  bam.  Then 
we  seen  museer  at  the  tillyfone.  Hes 
spaking  franticully  harf  in  Frinch  and 
harf  in  English.     Mr.  Harry  putrifyes 
him  wid   a   look    and  he  drapt  the 
tillyfone  and  turned  sowerly  to  the  big 
ortermobile,  pretinding  to  start  it.  Mr. 
Harry  helped  Miss  Claire  into  the  tonno, 
thin  the  Frinchman  climed  in  frunt. 
Mr.  Harry  foosed  a  bit  wid  the  ma- 
sheenery,  then  he  joomped  in  beside  the 
Frinchman,  and  all  of  a  suddint  he 
seesed  the  wed  frum  the  Frinchman's 
hands,  guv  a  toot  to  his  horn,  and  wmt 
flying  out  of  the  bam  dure,  joost  as 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  »1 

auld  Mr.  Dudhy  cum  rooning  fnim  the 
house  waving  his  hands  and  showting: 
"Alfonse!  Alfonse!*' 

He  cum  into  the  barn  farely  choking 
wid  rage.  The  nixt  moment  he  seen 
Larry  and  me. 

"Larry"  ses  he,  and  he  climbed  into 
the  uther  masheen,  standing  there.  "Over- 
take those  loony  ticks"  ses  he,  "and 
I'll  make  you  a  ritch  man." 

"I  will"  ses  Larry  "I  kin  beet  anny 
Frinchman  living." 

I  fownd  me  way  home  aloan,  Larry 
the  crool  harted  miscreent  wid  his  avoree- 
shus  hart  having  obeyed  the  order  of 
Mr.  Dudley.  As  I  cum  into  me  kitchin 
I  fownd  the  hole  Wolley  family,  wid  the 
ixcipshun  of  Mrs.  Wolley  and  the  babby, 
waiting  for  me. 

"Whare  have  you  been?"  shouted 
Mr.  James,  and  Mr.  Wolley  guv  me  a 
kx>k  fit  to  kill  me. 


m      THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

"Theres  no  yuse  attimting  to  desave 
us  Delia"  ses  Mr.  John  quietly,  the 
only  cam  wan  of  the  boonch,  "The 
Dudley  charfer  tillyfoned  us  the  facks 
a  minit  sense.  Now,  whares  Claire. 
I  presoom"  ses  he,  "they  were  stopped 

in  time?" 

"Not  by  a  dummed  site  sir"  ses  I, 
gitting  turribly  inraged  wid  the  site  of 
the  thray  strapping  men  pursooing  the 
puir  yung  luving  harted  crachures. 
"They've  got  a  good  start  of  that  de- 
sateful  Larry  Mulvaney,  and  Mr.  Harry 
himsilf  has  got  the  wheel." 

Mr.  WoUey  let  out  a  larf  .of  scorn. 

**Boys"  ses  he,  "me  new  carbureater 
arrived  yistyday.  We'll  ovetake  that 
Frinch  car  in  harf  an  our." 

Wid  that  they  alt  wint  for  the  bam, 
got  out  the  car  and  in  there  exsitemint 
let  me  climb  in  wid  them  also. 

Wdl,  we  wint  spinning  at  a  turrible 


THE  DIARY  OP  DELIA  «« 

speed  akmg  the  atikl  BoBton  Post  Road 
but  never  a  site  did  we  get  erf  the  Dudley 

Frinch  car. 

The  roads  was  turrible  for  the  stiddy 

rains  of  the  larst  week  do  be  cutting  it 
up  into  ditches,  and  manny  a  time  me 
hart  was  in  me  mouth  feering  we'd  be 
gomg  into  the  gutter.  The  nitc  was 
pitch  dark  and  the  ilictrick  lites  Ofver 
harf  the  road  being  out  wid  the  light- 
ning. 

As  we  cam  whissing  along  over  a  wild 
and  loansum  cuntry  we  herd  a  straynge 
sownd,  like  samewan  hollering  tot  hilp, 
and  then  we  seen  a  lite  ahed.  We  roon 
up  beside  it  and  there  in  the  road  was 
anuther  masheen.  It  was  so  dark  we 
cud  not  see  the  gintleman  but  whin  I 
herd  his  voyce  I  guv  a  start. 

'*Can  you  tak  me  as  far  as  New 
Rosette"  ses  he.  **rm  soaking  wet  and 
cold"  ses  he,  "and  me  danmied  man 


H4     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 

doat  understand  the  meckaneesm  <rf  thii 

masheen.*' 
"Climb  in"  sea  Mr.  WoUey  gruffly. 

and  he  got  in  at  the  back. 

We  started  aff  again,  and  by  and  by 
we  cam  at  last  to  New  RoBette.  We 
wint  feeling  our  way  arownd  the  stratea, 
wid  the  rain  beeting  doon  upon  our 
lether  top  and  the  thoonder  and  lightning 
litUng  out  a  crack  avery  wanse  in  a  wile. 

Thin  suddintly  we  cam  to  a  stop. 
Theres  a  gas  lite  burning  in  the  strate, 
and  setting  back  a  bit  from  the  road  on  a 
lumpy  bit  of  Ion  I  seen  what  looked 
like  a  church  and  at  its  very  dure  indade 
there  stud  the  grate  Frmch  ortermobile 
of  Mr.  Dudl^.      But  neyther  Miss 
Claire  or  Mr.  Harry  was  mside  it  The 
gintleman  guv  a  gront,  and  thin  ses  he: 
"Excuse  me  sir,  allow  me  to  get  out 

here."  , 
Mr.  Wolley  has  turned  aboot,  and 


THB  DIABY  OF  DELIA  m 


now  he  lecncd  over  the  back  of  the  sect 
and  ituck  hia  face  doM  up  to  hia  gert'a. 
Then  at  wanse  they  reckiiked  aidi  other. 
The  boys  too  soospicted  the  truth  al 
wanse.  Mr.  Dudley  himself  was  for 
joomping  clane  out  of  the  masheen.  but 
Mr.  John  opened  the  dure  wid  dignu^, 
and  perlitely  hilped  him  to  alite. 

We  wint  all  walking  up  the  path  to  the 
choorch,  and  we  cud  see  theres  a  bit  of 
lite  burning  inside.  We  wint  into  the 
holy  place,  which  is  all  very  still  and 
quiet  wid  only  a  bit  of  dim  lite  up  near 
the  altar,  but  under  the  lite  we  sor  the 
luwers,  neeling  side  be  side. 

Neyther  Mr.  Dudley  or  Mr.  Wolky 
spoke  a  wurd.  They  joost  stud  badt 
and  let  the  praste  finish  the  wurds. 
Thin  I  seen  two  gintleman  slip  forward 
an  recl^nised  thim  wid  borrow— museer 
and  Larry  M  J  aney.  The  latt«gr  seen 
us  at  the  same  time,  and  he  cum  aniling 


m     THK  DIABY  OF  DBLIA 


Irum  eer  to  eer  up  to  Mr.  Dudley,  while 
the  yung  cupf^e  alud  iliU  wid  luuide  in 
akh  ythen,  looldag  wid  eBalag  Ucta 
at  their  others,  joost  at  U  indade  ^ej 

were  arfter  ixpicting  ms, 

"Mr.  Dudley"  ses  Ivurry,  '*yeMl  not 
be  haulding  it  agin  t  ii<'  for  me  thrick. 
I  boated"  aei  he,  thai  1  cud  baet  the 
Frindimaii*  and  I  dhd"  ses  he,  **jm 
frate  being  lite.  It  was  ao  bndie  down 
ye  were  arfter  being  in  on  the  road" 
ses  he  "I  simply  doomped  ye  there' 
ses  he  "to  guv  the  yung  fokes  time. 
Besides"  ses  he  Delia  these  made  a 
hyer  bid  far  me  sarfissea.  M  the 
weHh  in  the  warid"  aes  he,  "'cnddeiBt 
bye  me  frum  me  pinnyliss  dariiaft." 

Mr.  D'idley's  silint,  but  he  kipt  his  eyes 
stiddily  on  the  yung  fokes,  then  suddmtly 
he  hild  out  his  hand  to  Mr.  Wolley. 

'*rm  alrade  sir"  aaa  ha»  "that 
has  won  the  race." 


i 


4 


TSl  DIAEY  0#  DELIA 

Mr.  JwBes  was  acti  ig  trayngel}  He 
wixst  dMTB  the  isie  ia  btfl  A  dtttten  strydes. 
He  brort  his  hmmd  down  wkl  A  tkoomp 

on  Mr.  Harry   Hack;  Aen  he  toorned  on 

his  sister ;  nd  fxu  li' r  a  smacking  kiss. 

"Claire  '  se.-  he  '*ye*vti  made  mt  in- 

saneh  hap 

She  smited  aw    Ir      irry  guv  a  *arf 
"I  oon<ter^iKt    Mi    chap"  ses  he 
"ant^  heres  •*       *f        *iit  i  Ivice.  Do 
>s  i  dir  tak       f^rst  sterna  ^hich  will 


arr\    V   I       -wur  s. 


*  By  will!"  ses  Mr.  James 

*'FM  the  Lcmdon  corryspou  '  & 

By  t  tiffle  *c  hole  family  is  crowt^ 
fihriM*  V  ,ng  lokes,  and  Mr.  Dudley 
is  ter  issing  the  bride  and  bridegroom 
t»  and  both  he  and  Mr.  WoUey  look 
IS  et  Ai^d  blow  there  noses  hard,  but 
seeii  in  dboarch  it  im|^  not  be 

periu. 


M8     THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA 


The  teers  run  down  me  nose,  and  wan 
of  thim  sploshed  on  Larry's  hand,  for 
I  seen  him  look  at  it  a  moment.  Then 
he  wispered  in  me  eer. 

"Come,  auld  girV*  ses  he,  *  hop  into 
the  little  masheen,  which  is  joost  around 
the  comer.  Maybe"  ses  he,  "we  can 
injuice  sum  sinsible  praste  to  do  us  a 
like  favour  to-nite." 

And  so  we  wint  sneeking  out  thegither, 
wid  only  the  Frinchman  to  obsarve  us, 
and  he  wid  his  mouth  gaping  open  and 
smiling  a  bit  beside,  for  Mr.  Harry  do 
be  arfter  giving  him  the  hole  of  me 
forehune  to  act  as  witniss. 

"But  dont  you  be  arfter  wurrying 
swatehart"  ses  Larry  Mulvaney,  "for 
tho  ye*re  puir  yersilf  now  darlint,  its  a 
ritch  man  I'll  be  air  long,  wid  the  grand 
premisses  of  Mr.  Harry." 

*^Ah,  go  wan  Larry  Moolvaney,*'  ses 
I,  giving  him  a  squaze  of  his  arm,  "it's 


THE  DIARY  OF  DELIA  m 


oanly  a  hii  of  a  trick  I've  been  playing 
you»  me  wanting  to  tist  yere  love  fur 
me,  or  me  wilth — Shture  it  was  oanly  a 
loan  I'm  arfter  making  Mr,  Harry,  and 
it's  hiwy  intrust  the  lad  will  be  arfter 
paying  on  me  savings,"  ses  I. 


